Romance Palace
by regertz
Summary: -Season seven Cicelyverse tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in the saddle, a bone or two to pick with his lost love...and romance on the menu...


Opening Theme "Spellbound Concerto" by Miklos Rosza Play

Romance Palace...

PG-13...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly

in the saddle and romance on the menu...

Clip:

"Ummn...You still are a vampire, right?..." Buffy eyed him...

I mean...Not that that would be a good thing...Just protectionwise and all...It might not be so

bad...

"Yeah...And still getting sex advice from ole Dr. Spike..." William frowned at her...

"Great...I mean...That you can help me and protect yourself...Helpin' me in the fight against

evil...That sort of thing..." she looked at him innocently...

Is this gonna be a great year or what, she thought happily...

Cicely always was a forward girl...he thought...

Suggested Theme...Secret Garden

Part I...

She'll let you in her house

If you come knockin' late at night ...

"Ow...!" yelped the short slender blonde man in black trousers and short black jacket as he

struggled with the secured boards blocking the entrance of his former favorite Sunnydale

crypt...

Flashlight beams darted in his direction...

"You!..." A guard called, giving a blast on his whistle...A couple more quickly appearing

in the distance...Little after hours for the cemetery...

Oh great...Oh bloody hell damn great...

Damn, damn, damn...Now they get security conscious...Years of wandering in and out of

here, free as a bird...And now...

But then why should I have expected any less after this summer...he thought...

"Hold it!...Stay where you are, there!...This is private property, friend...No trespassing..."

the nearest guard shouted...

"Yes, yes..." William put his hands up as the guards ran to him...

"Don't give us any trouble, young fellow..." an older guard addressed him firmly...

Spike gave a wan, faint bellow from within...In my day...My glorious day...Even with the

chip we could've gotten out of this...

I'm over from England...Just looking for the old family crypt, mate...William explained

lamely to the guard looking most in charge...

Summers is going to kick us around like a wet...Spike groused deep within...

"Searching for my roots and all that..." William continued...

The truth at that...he thought, looking at the guards' faces...

To knock or not to knock...He'd passed the Summers' house for the fifth time...

Well...He couldn't just wander around till daylight...

And it was highly unlikely that any former underworld associates would consider taking him

in...Unless it were to first mock then kill him for sport at the first opportunity...

Not that he hadn't handled things well in the inevitable skirmishes during the return from

Africa and the trip across country...With an eager, if deeply buried Spike ready and willing

to offer any needed advice and instruction...

Still...They'd sense his new nature...And both he and Spike were just too exhausted to spend

the rest of the night and next day fighting off challengers...

Perhaps...If Buffy left on Patrol...Or he could confirm that she had...He could try the Nibs...

Sweet and kind-hearted thing that she was...

Always hoping and providing that she hadn't heard about...the little Incident...

Oh...Bollocks!...Spike cried from within...

Hell the worst of it was...even we didn't intend it to go so far...the demon groused faintly...

And why is that...? William asked, in effect, himself...

Yeah, yeah, yeah...the demon's voice faded...

Love's a funny thing, bro...William teased himself...

Spike was silent...At last...

What...you leaving?...No guts to face our girls...? William chuckled inwardly...

Sod off, poof...the demon faded out...

He waited about half an hour longer...no Buffy emerging...And it was past her Patrol time...

Well...No time like the present...

He braced himself, tried to assume a Spikean demeanor, and cautiously knocked...

"Holy...!..." Dawn stared at him...

"Nibs..." he nodded pleasantly...

Might I?...

"What the hell happened to you?..." she eyed the scars on his forehead, face, and hands...

Where's your...Slayer...coat?...she asked, staring...

Spike surged up for one more jab...

I told you...I told you, see...he groused to himself...Everyone loves the coat...It's part of the

aura...The Spike...Even the Nibs here loves it...

It was time it was returned, brother...William noted to himself firmly...

"Dawn...? It's nice to see you..."

Yeah?...she eyed him...

Buffy home?...

Patrol...she said curtly...

"Manners, my girl...Old friend on front step...Young lady invites said old friend in for tea and

cookies..." he smiled at her...

"I don't invite guys who try to rape my sister into our house..." Dawn replied...Folding her

arms across her chest...

"Who's there?..." Clem called from the living room...

Spike?...Hey...Spike!...he cried joyfully...

"We missed you, big guy!..."

Clem...he smiled pleasantly...Nodding at the dog-eared demon...

"New baby-sitter?..." he grinned at Dawn...Who gave a sour look...

"I do not need a "baby-sitter"...This..." she paused...

Is an assignment...

I'm rehabilitating him...Helping him learn to interact with humans...

Clem had been smiling happily but now looked puzzled and sniffed...

Oops...William thought...

Well...Secret has to get out sometime...

Unless it's just the lack of a good wash...

"Hey...?...You aren't Spike...Who?..." Clem looked a hair nervous...

Slayer had instructed him very carefully as to Dawn protection...

With a full outline of his fate should he be lax in his new duties...

Dawn stared...Not Spike?...

Clem sniffed again and sighed...Oh...

Another one of those redemption things...

"You're that soul of his...The one always hanging around...?"

What...? Dawn stared blankly...

William, right?...Clem extended a paw...

Say...Is that still Spike in there?...

What...? Dawn continued to stare...

"There is a story, Nibs..." William smiled at her...

Romance Palace...

PG-13...

Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant

Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Part II...

Souled?...Human-souled?...William...Dawn thought, still trying to recover...

Unbelievable...

Still after this last year...?

Of course...This could be a trick...A trap...

A "grab Dawn and blackmail Buffy into sex and/or death" trap...she thought,

eyeing William...Now sitting on the couch, looking quite at home and

comfortable, cuppa in lap...

Even kinda pooped...Poor guy...Musta been a long trip...And all those scars...

Geesch...Should get him some ointment and bandages...

She looked at Clem who was watching William in some wonder...In between

slurping his cocoa...

He had vouched for Will's soul...But he could be lying...

It could be a plot...Clem might even be the mastermind...she eyed him...

Like that Chancellor Palpatine in the Star Wars movies, pretending to be a nice

guy, then...

And even Yoda was fooled...

Well...she smiled at Clem who asked if she wanted something...

Nah...

But, even if the story was true...She was dead...Well, at least when Buffy

found out she'd let William in solely on his and Clem's say-so...

But how could she pass up the chance to hear the whole thing in

detail...Something Buf would never forego herself...And never allow her to stay

and hear, however much she might be willing now to let her see a little of the

family business...

Of course...A leetle disappointing as to the reason...

No noble soulquest...Although...If Clem was right about William's previous

"hanging around"...Maybe Spike had been seeking more than he knew...

You couldn't've told her we did it for love?...Or at least I

did...Moron...Spike groused to William from the depths...

Buf would've fallen for that like a ton of bricks...She'd be on us

tonight...You stupid...

We did do it for love...William replied silently...But it's up to Buffy to see

that for herself...

Along with everything else...

You're not even gonna tell her, are you?...About "everything else"...? Jesus,

did you ever even have sex? Spike groused inwardly...If you did, it sure

wasn't memorable...

You know we did...And you remember as well as I do...William smiled...The demon

backed down, growling...

"Spike?..." Dawn paused...Watching Will blanking for a second, a wan smile on

his exhausted face...

"Ummn...Sorry...William?"

He blinked at her...God, he looks awful...Pale...

"Hmmn...Nibs?...Sorry...Spike still likes to shoot his mouth off on

occasion...I'm still adjusting to the distraction..."

"He really is in there?...With you?..." Dawn stared in wonder...

Afraid so...Will nodded...But, hey...There's a counterpart demon for every

human on this planet...Mine just happens to be closer than most...

Hmmn...Dawn looked behind her, half-expecting to see her own demon grinning at

her...Well, maybe people artificially made from interdimensional energy keys

don't have demonic counterparts...

On the other hand...

"Anne..." Will eyed her...

Huh?...

"Spike says Buffy's...And therefore, your...Counterpart in hell is

named...Anne..."

Nice name...Dawn noted...

"A preety vicious lady according to him...He's quite taken with her..."

Oh...

But how...

"Demons keep in touch with the home base..." William smiled...

"Then...Buffy...He never really..."

Hey!...Spike grumbled within...

"No, no...He did, very much...As much as he was able to, Niblett..." William

smiled...

Does!...Spike growled...I'm still here, mate...Lets not stick me in the ground

just yet...

Within a demon's capacity...William continued...

Hmmn...Well...

"Tell him..." Dawn paused... "If all this is really true..."

William nodded...A lot to accept, I know...his look saying...

"Thanks...For trying I mean...And for being there when Buffy needed him..."

Not that I'm letting him off the rape thing...she noted firmly...

Well...William eyed her...We sort of worked together over the last year,

courtesy of the chip...

Hey!...Another internal grouse...

But he did try...As much as he was able...he added hastily...

"Will?..." Dawn eyed him...

You really were around?...All this time...I mean since...

1880?...Yeah...he nodded...But not much I could do under the circumstances

except watch and try to encourage my little maniac "brother" to seek out

powerful enemies...

Until the Initiative "helped" me out a bit...he smiled wanly...

Wow...Clem and Dawn looked at him...Equally sympathetically...

"Of course..." he noted... "I'll have a lot to do...Trying to rebuild some kind

of life..."

And there's a lot to think about...he sighed...

"Nearly 40,000 things to think about..." he paused...

Hey!...Spike groused...At least 40,000, mate...

And I would've guessed twice that...

40,000?...Dawn wondered...

Oh...

He eyed her sadly...

"It wasn't you, Will..." she noted sympathetically...Patting his shoulder...

God, he's not gonna pull an Angel on us now, is he?...she thought...

"Bye guys...Gotta fight evil in London for 122 years to ease my conscience"

that sort of thing...?

Oh!...Gee...

"This soul thing?...Ummn...It wasn't like...Another curse type of thing?" she

asked hastily...

Exactly, a freaking curse!...Spike bellowed from below...

"No, Nibs..." William smiled...Happiness is not denied me...

Phew...Dawn thought...Not that she wanted to encourage anything...

And we coulda been very happy several times on this trip...Spike groused...

Sod off, Spike...William thought...We have a commitment...

Bollocks!...The little %^&! of a Slayer doesn't care what we do...And how many

times has she jumped into the sack with the first...

"I...Heard about Ms. Maclauy...Tara..." Will began... "And Willow..."

Talk of the underworld, that...

"I'm sorry...And sorry I...we...Weren't here to help..."

Always knew Red had it in her...Spike grinned within...What a vamp she'd have

made...Really, if I had just realized her potential a little sooner...

"It was rough...Willow was...Well...Like an Angelis...Only loads

faster-moving..." Dawn noted...

See...Spike continued his rant...I know potential when I...

William pushed him down...Enough...

"Thank God, Giles has been here and back a few times this summer..." Dawn

added...

Helping with her recovery and the permanent magics block...

Crap!... "Permanent magics block"?...Spike growling below...

Had some ideas, brother...? William pleasantly noted to himself...

An appeal to Red's darker nature, perhaps...?

#$%^&!...the demon backed off, fading...

"Spike missed Willow too..." he explained to Dawn...

In his own way...

A dark-haired, fortyish woman walked the Sunnydale downtown streets...Lost in

thought...

To the extent of occasionally losing control and slipping into her true

face...To the horror of several passersby...

Though not all...This being Sunnydale...

Trouble...Halfreck sighed...

Big trouble...

A century old assignment ready to go down the tubes...

Unless something can be done, quickly...

Who'd would of thought...But then she'd been called here primarily to deal with

a situation that had been brewing for months...Years, really if you took the

long view...And that even before this latest disaster...

Almost makes one think the Powers That Be are against one...

Well...She had her duty...A contract to be fulfilled, a wish maintained...

Though really...Ms. Summers could do her the courtesy of finally making up her

mind...

Fickle, fickle woman...Worse even than Anyanka who seemed actually poised to

again give up D'Hoffryn's patronage...And her immortality...

For...

Well, the fellow was cute...And his power of love had just saved the world...

Lacking a little of William's romance perhaps...And Spike's edge...But, in all

fairness, she had to admit she could see some of Anyanka's reasons...

But as to the matter at hand...

Hmmn...Another performance as Ms. Summers?...she wondered...

Tell the little would-be rapist he's an animal and to never darken her door

again...?

Ummn...No...William would just agree that Spike was an animal and come back

when she'd had a chance to think things over...

It really wasn't fair...All the work she'd put in...And now...Both Spike and

William likely to be lost to her...Forever...

More important, to screw up this assignment...Again...Would not sit well with

the boss...

He'd had his heart set on acquiring a Slayer-vengeance demon...His first...And

had been, admittedly...Unusually patient...

But Ms. Summers was not likely to surrender to demon Anne nor Anne to take

D'Hoffryn's offer of employment unless guilt and shame lead Buffy to death and

drove her human soul off...

Hmmn...Well, there was a lot of potential for guilt and shame here...If Buffy

learned everything...

Leaving the field here to Halfreck...To comfort poor lost William and his

"brother"...

But if even driving William to his death had not been quite enough...

Trouble...she sighed...

Well...No one ever said a justice/vengeance demon's job was an easy one...

And the reward at stake...Eminently worth it...

Dawn was eager to hear more details of William/Spike's leetle safari...But it

was getting on...And she couldn't be sure how Buffy would take things...

Well, actually she could...At least in her own case...

All the more reason to urge her guest along...

Maybe...After he told her more about the demon god...And his side trip...To

England, after his "restoration"...

Of course...If all this is true...she thought...No particular need to let Buf

know his first thought wasn't to come rushing home into her arms...

I mean...Only natural...Human...she noted proudly...That he'd want to go home

and try to learn what had happened to his long-deceased loved ones...And if he

had any surviving family...

Just...Buffy might be a leetle disappointed...

Odd actually...

That he came here first and didn't go seeking her to trumpet the glorious

news...

But he did come in the end...

Home...

God, he looks pale...Gee...Is he?...Not feeding?...

"Of course, Nibs..." William eyed her... "You lot will have to check me over

and all...Anya or Giles or Willow could..."

Not Willow...Dawn replied hastily...

Ah, right...he nodded...

But...he continued...I was wondering if ...Considering the situation at the

cemeteries in the vicinity...

A place to crash?...Dawn hesitated...

"Gee...I'd like to help you out, Will..."

But if Buffy ever...

Right...Spike sneered below...Save you all last summer, ungrateful little...And

this is the thanks I get...

"Actually...I was thinking more of the Magic Box..." William explained...

Just for a day or two...In the basement...Until I get my bearings and all...

"If you lot have an extra key to the place...And if we could square things with

Anya..."

"And Giles...He's here for a couple of weeks now..." Dawn noted...

Ripper's here now, eh?...Hmmn...Spike pondered within...Now there's a man who

might understand my situation...Trapped raging...Being...in torment...

Rupert Giles?...Rupert is never going to let you out, brother...William smiled

inwardly...We'll be lucky if he doesn't kill us as a preventive measure for

Buffy's sake...And for...

Unnnh...

And given your attitude, it might not be a bad thing at that...

"Well..." Dawn eyed William... "I guess we could call Anya...See if she'd be ok

with it..."

She paused...

"Will?...Have you been...Feeding?..."

You look awful...

Mr. Suicidal Martyr prefers not to dine on human blood...Spike groused

within...What was it last time, bro?...A cat?...

"I've been trying to take that aspect of things a little slow, Nibs...But I'm

just tired, really..."

"I could get some blood for you..." Clem noted... "Couple of pals of mine keep

a stock...They'll sell it for a little cash..."

Great...Dawn replied...I got some upstairs...Wait a sec...

She ran upstairs...

"Nibs..." William called to her...Sighing...

Really...You've got to learn to be a little more careful when the Undead come

to call...Not all of them are as nice as Clem here or souled like me...

Clem turning as red as possible for him...

Little moron'll get her face eaten one of these days...Spike groused...

We'll take care of her, don't worry brother...William replied silently...Say...

You've got a bit of a good heart there, Spike...he teased...Bad luck winding up

with a fellow like me as your human counterpart, eh...

Sod off...Spike fumed...If the Nibs croaks Buffy will be in mourning for

months...And we don't get any...

Romance Palace...Part III...

She'll let you in her car

To go drivin' round

Part III...

A large and greasily hairy fellow confronted Buffy in the same cemetery William had been

escorted from a little over an hour ago...

The cemetery she had developed a habit of rechecking two or three...Well, ok...Four times

a night since Spike had left...

Not that she was mooning over her departed (figuratively now as well as literally) ex-lover,

she told herself...

Just...With all the extra guards cluelessly wandering around now at night since she and Riley

had blasted Spike's old place...The Slayer had to take extra care there...Duty and all that...

She eyed him...God, the one thing she couldn't forgive in her victims...Poor grooming habits...

And inexcusable...

Spike, the Anointed One, Dru, Darla, Mr. Trick, even the Master had all prided themselves

on style...Personal cleanliness...Never an issue...

"You fear me, Slayer..." he grinned...

You fear the great Philipicus...

It was true...All that grease...She hated the thought of touching him...

"Now...Slayer...Your fear will be your undo..." he dusted in mid-speech...

Xander...

"Thought I'd drop by..." he explained, picking up the fence picket he'd skewered the greasy

Philipicus with ...Just see how things were going...

"He's not here, Xander..." she frowned at him...

"Well..." Xander fumbled awkwardly...

Why do I keep having this ridiculous urge to tell her... "He'll be back, don't worry..."?

Hell, if I ever see him back...

"Anything else...?" she eyed him...

Ummn...Well...

Just came by to see that things were...ok...With Patrol and all...

She stared at him...Knowing exactly what and why...

Hmmn...she frowned at him...

See...He knew that sometimes...Things could go wrong...Xander explained feebly...

He...Just wanted to be there...In case...

Right...she glared a little...

Still thinks I can't handle it, eh...After all summer...Of handling it...Quite well...

Still...He did just save the world...With love...

Gotta cut a sweet guy like my Big Bro a break...

And things did go wrong...Often...With it...

Although...It was...In a sense...A very bizarre sense...Her responsibility...

And to be honest...Her secret joy to care for...

He stared at her...Hopefully...

Well...Maybe just this once...

"O...K..." she nodded, grinning a bit...

And tossed him the keys...

"To the Spikemobile..." he beamed...

Well...After all, it wasn't as if Clem could drive...And he had figured...When Buffy had

asked...

Who better than the Slayer to use it...Surely Spike would have no objection...

My god...Xander gasped...Looking at the battered old girl...

Buffy nervously rolled her eyes...Geesch...

Two tiny little dings...On a scruffy old car like this...

"Buffy...This is a classic..." he struggled to keep an accusatory tone out of his voice...And

lost...

"What were you thinking?...What's Spike gonna say?"

"Geesch...Xander...It's just two little dents..."

He shook his head...

What's Spike gonna say?...God, what happened to the guy who was gonna stake Spike the

moment he showed his face in this town?...she thought...

Guys and their toys...

Besides...she thought, annoyed...

It was my bo...

Gulp...she backed away from that mental cliff...

Well...he sighed, surveying the hideous blemishes...Maybe they could be fixed...

Lets go...

They got in and belted up...

Curious that Spike hadn't ripped the belts out...You'd have thought they'd be the first things

to go, Xander noted...Beaming at the dash...

He couldn't help it...The Spikemobile at last...

He'd been trying to get a crack at her since the first day Buffy started "borrowing" it...

"Atomic batteries to power...Turbines to speed..." he happily cried...Eyeing Buffy for her

line...

Geesch...she thought...

Guys...

Still...He did just save the world with the force of his love...And she knew the line...

"Roger...Ready to move out..." Anya's voice brightly replied from behind them...

Geesch!...Xander jumped...

"Do you have to keep doing that?..." he groused at her...

Sorry...She looked crestfallen at him...

Guess I shouldn't 've...

He sighed and shook his head...No, no...It's ok...Just...

"Give a guy a little warning...If I'd been in traffic when you decided to make like Endora..."

Sorry...she replied, more brightly...

He'd been preety angry with her these past months...Nice to hear him softening a little...

Though it wasn't her fault...As she explained when the Willow fight was safely over and all

seemed pointed towards immediate reconciliation...

She couldn't just "resign" from the vengeance demon business...It wasn't allowed...

But what had really made him furious was her refusal to tell him how to get her out of it...

She couldn't she'd explained...Not allowed...Physically impossible for her...

Yeah...Right...Some goof-ball test of his renewed devotion...he'd immediately thought...

However Giles had confirmed that her class of demon was not allowed or capable of giving

out such info...

But thanks to help from Giles and a lot of fancy maneuvering with potential clients,

persuading them not to maim and flay former lovers...She'd successfully avoided any

murders or torture to date...

Sooner or later someone was bound to figure out how to free her...she'd brightly told him...

A thousand years...he'd noted...Last time it took a thousand years...

"You'll wait for me...Won't you?..." she'd asked pathetically...

Souls are immortal, she'd noted...

But of course, if he wanted to go ahead anyway and didn't mind her occasionally being forced

to zip off to attend an angry client...Whom she would do her damnest to dissuade from

anything remotely harmful...However it might annoy D'Hoffryn...

Well...Maybe it was best to wait on another wedding try...she'd noted sadly...

Of course...With all that...She saw no reason to...In fact some very good reasons not to...

Abandon her Xander to loneliness...

Especially if Buffy or Willow might be trying to ease that loneliness...And their own...

Romance Palace...Part IV...

You've gone a million miles

How far did you get?

That place where you can't remember

And you can't forget ...

William having reminded Dawn and Clem of Buffy's likely reaction to finding him in the

house, the Nibs had agreed to contact Anya regarding use of the shop basement before Clem

headed out to purchase a few blood bags...

Which led to Anya receiving a rather startling cell phone call...While riding with Xander and

Buffy in the Spikemobile...

However...Dawn had been strongly encouraged to confirm that Buffy was no where in the

vicinity before giving details...And being well aware of the possible consequences of her sis

learning of Will's visit...

"Anya?...If Buffy's there...Don't say anything...Hangup and redial as soon as you can..."

Dawn hissed into the phone...

Who is this?...Anya asked the phone...Buffy looking back at her...

"Dawn..." Dawn replied... "Do like I asked, please..."

"Who's on the phone?..." Buffy asked...

God, for a nineteenth century type, Spike sure knows his engine maintenance...Xander noted

to himself contentedly...Listen to that beauty purr...

Gotta find out who his mechanic is...

Hmmn?...Anya looked at Buffy...Ummn...

Nobody...Well, gotta go...Bye, honey...she called to Xander...

"An?..." he called...

"Too late..." Buffy eyed him...

An assignment...? You think?...she looked at him...

"They usually don't call on the phone..." he replied...Watching the road...

God I hope not...She can only persuade these ladies to see the bright side of being dumped

by, or settle for just embarrassing, their worthless ex-lovers so many times...he thought...

"Anya..?" Dawn called into the phone...William eyeing her...

Such a remarkable century this he noted to Clem...Never had the chance to sit back and really

appreciate it when I was trying to do anything I could to restrain ole Spike...

Yeah...Spike groused deep inside...How about you go explore the wonders of a plugged-in

toaster in the bathtub?...

You that anxious to see good ole Hell again, brother?...William teased him...I can

accommodate if that's what you really want...

"Hi..." Anya appeared before them...Dawny taking a sec to realize she was not still on the

phone...

What's the big...

"Holy!..." she clasped a hand to her mouth in astonishment...

"Spike?...You're back!..."

Anya?...You're a lumpy vein-bulging murderous fright again?...Spike sneered within...

Hmmn...A vengeance demon...With a fair degree of power...

And one who'd experienced the blessings the Spiked One had to offer...

Say, love...he concentrated from within...How's about lending your ole sackmate a hand?...he

thought, straining to reach his fellow demon...

Forget it, brother...William pushed him down...

"Holy?...Are there two of you in there?..." Anya clasped her other hand to her mouth...

Looking at William...

I'd take that as confirmation...Dawn noted to herself happily...Beaming at Clem...

"Buffy...?" Xander called...Glancing at her briefly when she had failed to answer him twice...

She was off again...Another one of those glassy dazed stares...

Geesch...And what with everything getting so much easier in the past few months, seemed

like she should've gotten over these things...

Instead they were, if anything, worse...Longer and more frequent...Though thank God, never

during Slaying or driving...At least that he knew of and she admitted to...

Gotta get her over to a good neurologist...And no matter what she says, tell Giles while he's

around...This is not right...

Unless she's trying mediation or yoga or some Slayer equivalent...

"Buffy..." he raised his voice a notch...

Hmmn...? she stared at him...

Buffy...? What a foolish name...Who..I...she thought confusedly...

"Xander...? What?..." she looked around...

Anya was here, wasn't she?...

Ok...Now she's getting me a leetle worried...

"Yeah...An was here and gone..." he nodded...Just a minute ago...

"Speak of the demon..." Anya called brightly from the back seat...

The car squealed to a stop!...Fortunately, the street was empty at this time of night...

"An!...What did I just ask you not to do?..." Xander yelled...

Sorry...Sorry...She desperately contained herself...Eyeing Buffy...

Oh...She tapped her fists together...

Oh...I can't keep this in...she thought...

"Gotta go..." she told them...Vanishing...

Xander rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead...Unnnh...

"It'll work out, Xander..." Buffy told him sympathetically...

Giles will figure it out...

"Yeah, yeah...Well it's what I deserve I guess..."

Well...she thought...It's hardly like you're the one who has to deal with the bulging veins and

the irate wronged females...Poor Anya does her best to be human for you when she drops in...

Poor An...A soul condemned to torment...Cursed, really...So unjust...

"It's wrong..." Buffy was getting a mite teary... "Unjust..."

Well...Xander nodded in agreement...

Kind of Buf to see things so sympathetically...

A little unusual actually...Is she ok?...

"It was so unjust...Evil...Cruel..." Buffy continued...

They had no right to do this...she went on...

Well...Ummn...They?...Oh, right the Fates, that sort of thing...

Well...He paused...I guess I have to admit...A lot of it is my...

"William is innocent..."she murmured...

Oh...

She blinked...Ummn...

"I mean...Anya and...Ummn..."

Well...she eyed him...Their souls would be innocent, right?...

Both their souls...she hastily added, leaving him no room...

Sure...Xander agreed...But Buf...

"William is gone...Probably safe in Heaven or wherever you were when..."

Ummn...Maybe a subject best avoided...

I don't know...she began...Sometimes...I think...

"He was so human sometimes..."

Ummn...

"And...Where was he?...If I was in Heaven...And he was there..."

Well...Maybe William didn't know who Buffy...he began...She eyed him coolly...

Ummn...

"Maybe you get a few thousand years of privacy before the first social calls..."

"William would have come!..." she shouted at him, trembling...

Buffy?...he blinked at her...

"...He wasn't there...Henry, he wasn't there!..."

Buffy?...

Huh?...she stared at him...

Oh...Ummn...

"What was I saying?...Yeah...Ummn...Anya's soul is innocent..."

"Who is "Henry"...?" Xander eyed her a second, as he made the turn into her street...

Who?...

"Henry...You just called me...Henry..." he turned into her driveway...

Ummn...

"I should give you a ride home..." she hastily began...

I can walk...Xander paused...

"Buffy...Something strange is going on with you..."

Died...Resurrected...Best friend tried to inflict serious death and damage on me...My boyf...

Oops...That mental cliff again...Back up...Quickly...

"I'll be fine, Xander...I just need..."

"You need to see a doctor, Buffy...And Giles should be told...Tomorrow..." Xander insisted...

These visions or flashes or symptoms of premature Alzheimer's are getting worse, not better...

"I'll speak to Giles...Tomorrow..."

We'll speak to Giles...Tomorrow...he insisted...

Anya popped back to the Summers...To find Dawn and William rather...

Clem out to fetch blood bags now that Dawn felt Will's story could be accepted...

"Anything wrong?..." she asked...

Where did you go?...Dawn looked at her...

Ummn...Well...

"Did you go and tell Buffy about me?..." William eyed her...

No...Anya insisted...

Just had to check on Xander...But that was all...

"Though it was really hard...This is such great news..." she gushed...Tapping her fists together

again excitedly...

She looked at them...

Isn't it?...she looked from one to the other...

Are they mad at each other?...she wondered...And asked...

"He doesn't want to see her..." Dawn groused...Glaring at William...

Not yet, Nibs...he replied...

"He's mad at her..." she looked at Anya who stared at William...

I didn't say that...William looked at Anya...

"I just said...I need some time...To readjust..."

"And...?" Dawn eyed him, annoyed...

He frowned...

"... "she wasn't in any great hurry to help me, was she?"..." Dawn quoted...

"Well..." he looked away...

Was she...?

"You were a killer vampire!..." Dawn groused...Waving her hands...

What was she supposed to do...? Stake you?...

He stared back at her...Coolly...

Oh...she blinked...Ummn...

"Will...She lov...Cares for you...She couldn't have stood that...Not this year..."

She didn't know you were there...

"She knew..." he replied...She sensed me...Even if not consciously...

Well, then...Dawn began, brightly...Naturally she wanted to try and...

"She never even tried to help me..." William stared at Dawn...

She knew I loved her...We were lovers...

Dawn stared...Not that she didn't know...And hadn't imagined...At great length...

Just to hear it so...

He swallowed a bit...He hadn't meant to let that slip out...Or to be bitter about things...

"Ummn...Well...I mean..." he paused...We had a relationship of a kind...

Hey!...Spike bellowed...That was my doing, you poof...Summers needed a lil of the ole

devil-boy...Not some fourth rate Shelley-imitator...

"I know about you and her..." Dawn looked away...

So...Buf couldn't forget the ole Spike, could she?...Had to tell the lil' Nibs and the gang all

about her little romance...Spike grinned inwardly...Well...No surprise, that...

Best she ever had...I can tell you that...he continued...Hey!...

William crushed him down...

"All right, then..." he looked at Dawn... "You know...Then you should be able to understand

my feelings a little..."

Well...Spike noted within...Nibs wasn't there when we tried to stop sis from running to the

cops and she beat you silly...

Us...William replied silently...

It wasn't my idea to stop her...Spike groused...Though...I did go along with it...For ole Buf's

sake...You might note that in my favor come Judgment Day...

Would you like to lose all power of speech?...William groused back...I can do that now, you

know...

I only tolerate your comments for what info you can provide, brother...he warned... You

know that...And you never gave me the slightest chance to communicate until you wanted

my help with Buffy...

Ummn...the demon faded, glowering...

"I still don't see why you can't just..." Dawn began...

"She "cared" for me?...She couldn't guess the torment I was in?..." William looked at her...

Hmmn...Anya thought...I must say...I always did think Buffy was a leetle cold towards her

Undead victims...

"She had other things to worry about, Spike...Ummn, Will..." Dawn replied...

And so do I...Now...he said softly...

"Well, then why did you come back here...?" Dawn glared at him...

God knows...William replied...Rubbing his head...

"Hell...Everyone I cared about is dead...I have no family who'd know me left...Where else

was I gonna go?..."

Spike quietly enjoying things from below...Hmmn...

Maybe he'd still get his chance to see the Slayer's demonic sister at that...

Romance Palace...Part V...

The sound of the Spikemobile pulling into the driveway brought Dawn and William out of

their little debate...

"Buffy and Xander!..." Anya hissed...

"You better go, Will... "Dawn turned to him...

Right...He got up...

Hey!...Spike cried from within...

"Wait a minute..." William paused...

Has Buffy been...? he eyed Dawn...Who looked nervously away...

An incoherent internal howl from trapped Spike...

Quiet...William pushed him down...

"Using my car...?" he finished...

Your #$%&*!ing car!...Spike howled...Your bloody #$%#!ing car!...

Not that I mind...William hastily added...

%$#!...

"I'm sure she was careful with it...But it is..."

#%$#!...

A difficult car to handle...

Gee...Never thought he'd take it so well...Dawn noted to herself...

My god...We're all dead...Anya thought...Vaguely hearing the trapped demon's screams of

hideous rage...

He sounds worse than Willow did...

"You better slip down to the cellar...Now..." Dawn noted to William...

Unless you've changed your mind and want to see her...she added hopefully...

He raised a hand...Later...

But...Seeing her crestfallen face...

"I will see her...When it's the right time..." he smiled at her...

"And it was good seeing you, Niblett..."

Dawn grinned back...

Always knew he had it in him...Hey, I was the first to recognize his potential, she thought

happily...

You're second on my list, you little!..If there's one #$%&^ing scratch!...Spike bellowed

within...

Anya rushed to cover the front door as he went to the basement stairs...And hurried down,

closing the door behind him...

The front door rattled a bit...

Dawn raised an eyebrow at Anya...Who shrugged...

"Just buying him a minute or two..."

She smiled at the girl...

"It'll work out Dawn...I'm sure of it..."

Just like it'll work out for me and...

"Dawn...?..The door's stuck!..." Buffy called...

Well...We've had worse, brother...William noted...Looking around the Magic Box basement...

&^%##!...

Rather superior digs at that...Compared to most of what we've been getting recently...

%#$^#!...

Spike...he sighed internally...The car is fine...Buffy was very careful with it, I'm sure...

And you were the one who entrusted it to dear old Clem...

#$#%! Clem...#$%&^!...

Buffy must have cared...he noted to himself quietly...To have wanted to take it...

Really...? Spike paused in his screaming rant...

Why...The little bitch...

You really think she...? the demon all but beamed...

#$%#! my car!...

Enough...William pushed the demon down...

"Hey..." Anya appeared suddenly...

Got everything you need?...

Not quite...Spike surged up within...Love...

"Spike's still the same I hear..." Anya smiled...

"You hear him?..." William looked at her...

An...ya...Spike intoned within...How's about a little...soul expulsion spell?...

"Yeah..." she nodded...Not all that clearly but if I concentrate...

And the answer's no, Spike...

Right, well concentrate on this...##$%!...

"Sorry..." William eyed her...Pushing the demon down...

Mate, behave to our hostess or I pull the plug on your language skills...And you know I can

do it...

"No problem...You should've heard Dracula when he was in his cups..." Anya smiled...

And in Romanian to boot...

"So..." Dawn had grinned at Buffy...A tad nervously...After a crash in the basement had sent

both she and Xander running to check...

Nothing...

Phew...Dawn and Anya had thought...He made it...

Anya having then departed with the explanation that she had a client to dissuade from

inflicting gory death on an unfaithful husband...

"You're a disgrace to vengeance-seeking fiends everywhere..." Xander had smiled at her...

I try...Anya grinned back...Vanishing...

"The Spikemobile made it another night?..." Dawn continued...

Hmm-hmmn...Buffy nodded...

Xander unable to contain himself...

"She sounded ok...But I heard a click when I made that last turn...You oughta have the

mechanic take a look..."

And get those dents fixed...he continued...Shaking his head...

Buffy rolled her eyes...

"You let him drive her?" Dawn growled...

I've been asking all summer...And you let him...

Dawn...You don't even have a permit...Buffy frowned at her...

Dawn frowned...Well...

"How was it...?" she eyed him...

God...Xander grinned...I tell ya...

That vampire knows his cars...

"Where's Clem?..." Buffy looked around...

Oh...When Anya came...I sent him home...Dawn explained...

The door opened and Clem entered with several blood bags...

"Slayer...Hi!..." he smiled...

Hey, Xander...he waved...Xander nodding...

Dawn desperately tried a signal...Clem eyed her curiously...

"You want something, Dawn?" he asked...

Say...? he looked around...

Spike and his soul leave...? he asked pleasantly...

Got his blood for him...

"So..." Anya continued...

After Willow let Xander reach her...And released her power...

We got her home and Giles put a limited memory block on her...Just enough to keep her from

remembering about Warren...

"See...She was a wreck...All set to commit suicide or run to the police...And Giles and

Buffy...All of us...Felt she should have some time to get her sanity back before spending the

rest of her life in prison..."

He'll lift that when she's ready of course...Anya hastily added...

William nodded...

Mears was hardly someone for whom one would demand immediate justice...Rather a pity

the whole thing couldn't be quietly forgotten...he noted...

Still Willow herself would insist on doing the right thing when she was up to it...he

continued...Though surely temporary insanity was a reasonable defense in this case...

Right...The temporary insanity defense...Spike sneered below...Your favorite...

Why don't you tell it to that grandfather in St. Louis?...I'm sure he'd listen to your eloquent

arguments..."Spike was a deranged maniac when he ate your wife and grandkids...But I'm all

right now..."

If you'd like to be staked, Spike...William hesitated...

You haven't got the guts, poof...Spike growled...

"Anya...? Where did Buffy keep those extra stakes...?"

Ummn...Will...Anya hesitated...

Gutless, whipped poof...Spike sneered...You'll never...

William pulled a board loose from a wooden crate...

"You want to...?" he smiled...

Got a first-class ticket to Hell right here...

"Guys...?" Anya looked at the "brothers" nervously...

Though I can't guarantee the service will be as good as what Angel got...

Romance Palace...Part VI...

PG-13...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Clip:

Hello...Buffy said...Staring at him...

Ok..She's won us back...Lets have titanic sex...Spike happily called from below...

Spike...William growled to himself...

What...? You gonna make her do the whole "Jerry Maguire" speech?...I thought you were a

Victorian gent?...Show our poor embarrassed Ms. Summers a little courtesy, mate...Make it

easy for her...

Just tell her she "had us at hello..." That's romantic, she'll love it...You moronic sot...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant

Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

She'll let you in her heart

If you gotta hammer and vice

Part VI...

Hmmn...Dawn thought...As the deafening silence continued...

You know, I think we have mice...

A puzzled Clem was staring at the shocked Buffy and Xander...Rather frozen himself...

Ummn...Slayer seemed a little...He looked to Dawn for support...

I do something?...

Buffy began a high-intensity blink...

"Spike was here?..." she stared at Clem, then Dawn...

Oh...right...Clem bit his lip...The soul didn't want her to know he was back...

He looked apologetically at Dawn...Gosh...Sorry...

It's ok...she looked back...Sighing...

"What was that about a soul?..." Xander asked...Likewise blinking...

Boys...Anya looked at William...And therefore, Spike...

"Angelis can probably take you in, brother..." William noted internally, holding the board

he'd pulled from a storage box...

Think of how nice it'll be to relive old times with him...

You wouldn't dare...Poof!...Spike growled...But a slight note of uncertainty...

William had hung on like grim death for 122 years...Clearly his soul "brother" was a

determined sort...

Heaven sounds awfully good to me...William noted...

Geesch...Guys...? Anya pleaded...

Think of Buffy...Dawn...

"I am thinking of them..." William replied...

And I'm sure they'd find life much easier with the two of us gone...

"Spike...er Will..." Anya hesitated...

"You could've done it weeks ago if you really wanted to..."

See...Poof!...Spike sneered within...

There's one fellow demon who knows us...Intimately...he grinned internally...

"Please, William..." Anya begged... "Spike wants to live...Demons hate Hell, that's why

they're even willing to be limited to night hours here on Earth...And have the Slayer on

their backs from the moment they rise...And he's always been the practical type...He'll

behave..."

Be#$%^ing! have!...Spike cried within...

"And you have things to do...The atonement thing...Your life to live at last..."

And Buffy cares...I know she does...Anya continued...

She was so broken-up when you left...I mean after the joy of the world not being destroyed,

Giles coming home, her saving Willow and overcoming resurrection depression had faded...

"Really?..." Both "brothers" chorused at her...

I told you...Summers never had it so good...Spike confidently boasted...

Besides...Anya paused...

There's something you don't know...

Well...she thought...A couple of things...But even the one I can tell him oughta be enought to

keep him in this world...

There he was...Lying on his back...His sweet face looking up at me...No accusation in his

eyes...

Oh...My darling...Oh God...William...

Henry pressed my arm...We should go...There's nothing more we can do for him...he told me

sadly...

"I have to see!..." I cried, shaking my cousin off and bending over him...I turned his head...

Oh, God...The marks...

"A strange case, miss..." the attending morgue doctor began, eyeing us...

I looked at him...Staggering...

"Cicely!..." cousin Henry cried...Grabbing at me as I fainted...

Buffy...? Dawn and Xander called to the dazed Slayer...She staggered...Still lost in her

daze...

Buffy!...Dawn cried out...Clem hastening over as well...

The shock he noted to Dawn...Just too much for her...

"William...?" she murmured...Trying to get up...

I have to be there...Stop him...I can't let him...Rise...

"Buffy?..." Dawn stroked her hair...Buffy...

"Dawny?..." she looked at her...

"Did you say Spike was back?..."

We need a neurologist...Definitely...Xander noted to Clem who nodded...

"There's a good one on Forsyth St..." the demon noted...

They called Giles after my leetle collapse...Dawn and Xander that is...Refusing to let me set

a foot out of the house until he and Willow came over...

Though poor Clem was quite concerned for me as well...

As consolation, Xander agreed not to carry out his "immediate staking" threat...

And to call Anya to come over asap...Meaning by teleport...And give me details on William's

condition...

Clem kindly agreeing to head over to the shop with his blood...

Giles rushed over, having picked up Willow at her parents on the way...

Giles...Thank God for my second father...Who'd made no less than three costly trips back and

forth since Willow's little rampage...All to help Willow in her recovery and to reassure me...

and all of us...That we were not alone...

I still couldn't get over the fact that he hadn't set out to immediately destroy Spike as soon as

Willow was secure and he'd recovered a bit...That he'd found my tale of our little

"couplings"...Hilarious...Even...Rather touching...

And the most startling thing of all...He'd been less upset by my sleeping with

William...ummn...Spike...Than my not trying to help him...

Not that he approved of our little tryst...Just...

He'd never forgotten the look on William's face when I died...No pure demon looks like

that...

He'd actually hoped it would be good therapy for me...And a constructive way for Willow to

use her magics in a creative way...Helping our resident electronically-medicated psychotic

back to Humanity...

All year he'd quietly gathered what little info he could find on vampire redemption, soul-

restoration...In case we called him, half-expecting we would...To help our new friend and

assistant...

Gee...He really must have hated Angel...

Instead...We'd...Giles was too polite to put it in harsh terms...

Used and abandoned him...

Reminding me that before I died I'd been terrified that I was losing the ability to feel...To

care...

Not that he in any way approved of...

Just...

"Well..." he eyed me...Now in bed at Dawn's insistence...

I think Xander is right about the neurologic consult...

However...

"Giles...I am not crazy..."

That would be a psychologic consult, Buf...Xander helpfully noted...

This one is in case your brain is still half-melted...

Don't forget your little session with Warren's invisibility ray...he continued...

"Say..." Willow asked...Pausing from patting my hand...

Whatever happened to that guy?...Did he go join Andrew and Jonathan in Mexico?...

Probably did...Xander nodded, eyeing Giles...Yeah, I'm sure of it...

Romance Palace...Part VII..

It was just a matter of being cool, calm, and collected...William noted...

Spike for once agreeing...Cool being his state of choice...

Anya's news might admittedly be...Potentially...Earth-shaking...At least to him...And Buffy...

Hey!...A cry from within...Spike was genuinely hurt...He wasn't in Hell yet you know...Still

a contributing member and a valuable part of the team...

I mean you too, brother...William noted to himself...

Sensitive little fellow aren't you...? he teased...For a mass murderer I mean...

That was business...A matter of survival...Our unjust curse...It was never personal...Spike

insisted solemnly...

Excuse me...? William nearly barfed...

Well...Ok...Once in a while...It was rather nice...

Say remember that bloke in Easthampton?...The stupid lout who tried to sell us that

broken-down old horse back in 1889?...Now you must admit, doing him in was sheer...

A creak on the floor...He turned...

Buffy...

"Bu...Buf...

"Summers..." William tried to choke out a casual greeting...

Hello...Buffy said...Staring at him...

Ok..She's won us back...Lets have titanic sex...Spike happily called...

Spike...William growled to himself...

What...? You gonna make her do the whole "Jerry Maguire" speech?...I thought you were a

Victorian gent...Show our poor embarrassed Ms. Summers a little courtesy, mate...Make it

easy for her...

Just tell her she "had us at hello..." That's romantic, she'll love it...You moronic sot...

Enough...

"Buffy...? What are you doing here?..."

Anya...You sweet bitch of a demon...Spike grinned within...You couldn't keep it in for thirty

seconds...

"Clem told us...By accident...He didn't mean to ..."

She handed him a couple of blood bags...

"I...Ummn...Decided...To ask him to let me bring these over..."

I had to slip out of the house...she paused...Eyeing him...

Had a little shock...When I heard...

Oh?...William eyed her...

Naturally...Spike beamed within...News of our return would do that to any woman...Now,

make your move, you sot...

"So...How've you been?..." Buffy looked away...

I hear you were in Africa?...

Hmm-hmmn...William nodded...

"You heard about Willow?..." she asked, looking at him briefly...

Hmm-hmmn...

Spike howling from within...Soooooooooootttttt!

Enough...William pushed him down...

"Must have been a rough time for you lot..." William noted...

Glad to hear Willow's in recovery...

She looked at him...Clearly seeing him for the first time...

William?...She eyed the scars she could see...Guessing at the ones she couldn't...

"What the hell happened to you?" Buffy cried out in fright...

He shrugged...

"I... "heard the rains down in Africa..." as the song goes..."

"Buffy!..." Anya appeared suddenly...

What the hell do you think you're doing?...You're supposed to be in bed!...

"Are you all right?..." William looked at her...She did look pale...

Fine, fine...Just a leetle fainting spell...It was nothing...Buffy waved a hand...

Keeled over at the first mention of our return...Spike gloated from within...See...

"What about these scars...? William?..."

Just a leetle fighting spell...he grinned...

"Buffy?..." Anya glared... "Giles is coming...And if you don't go back...Now..."

I may have to rethink letting William stay here...

They stared at her...

"I mean...Get him a motel room...Somewhere away from here...I wouldn't just send him out..."

He's hurt...Buffy looked at her...

In agony...Spike noted...C'mon brother...Let her feel the pain...She wants to play Florence

Nightengale...

"I'm fine...The blood and a few hours' rest will do me a world of good ..." William told her...

"I'm getting some stuff for him..." Anya told her...

Xander and I will see he gets everything he needs...

Ummn...Xander?...Buffy looked at her...

Anya shook her head...Don't worry...He's promised...

And he's a man of his word...

Well...Usually...When it doesn't involve a solemn, life-long commitment...she noted...Getting

a bit misty...

Tell her she can't leave us alone with that human killing machine...Spike growled...A poor

poof poet like you can't hope to survive the mighty Mr. Harris...he sneered...

Rather nice to have our fate in ole Xander's hands...William grinned back...

Nervous, by any chance, Spike...? The ole chip is still firmly in its socket, you know...

#$%!...the demon faded out...

Well...Buffy hesitated...

"Are you sure you'll be ok?..."

Oh...This is so sw...So incautious and dangerous...Anya noted to herself...

"Buffy...?" she nervously pleaded...

I'll be fine...William eyed her...

A boyish smile breaking for the first time...Ow!...A scar in the way...

Buffy winced...

Ok...she nodded...

Guess we'd be better off talking tomorrow...

Or even better...In a week...Or two...Anya brightly noted...

"Thanks..." William smiled at her...A somewhat trunkated one, on account of multiple scars...

I just wanted to make sure you were ok...she smiled back, wanly...

No...he paused...Although I do appreciate the visit...

"Thanks for calling me...William..."

Last year, I mean...Before...

"It's your name, isn't it...?" she looked at him...Smiling...

Oh...Anya trembled...Gotta get back to the others before I explode...

"Ummn...You still are a vampire, right?..." Buffy eyed him...

I mean...Not that that would be a good thing...Just protectionwise and all...It might not be so

bad...

She wants us, bro...Spike cheered within...She is hooked...Now just...

"Yeah...And still getting sex advice from ole Dr. Spike..." William frowned wryly at her...

"Great...I mean...That you can help me and protect yourself...Helpin' me in the fight against

evil...That sort of thing..." she looked at him innocently...

Is this gonna be a great year or what?...she thought happily...

He sighed faintly...Eyeing Anya...Who'd given him "the news"...News that could change their

lives as much as his soul recovery...

Cicely always was a forward girl...he thought...

Romance Palace...Part VIII...

PG-13...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant

Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Part VIII...

Halfreck of course had not initially meant to spill any of the beans regarding the "Walthrop

case"...But by nature a talkative type, and rather proud of her determined efforts in this

particular case, she hadn't been able to resist dropping a few minor details one night visiting

with her sister demon...

However it had rather quickly come to her that letting Buffy learn a few of those details might

not be the worst thing...If a few relevant ones could be left out...

And dear Anyanka was never the sort to hold good gossip back...She'd pass it on to Ms.

Summers...And then...We'd see...

Anya for her part with Xander's strong urging had been probing all summer at every

opportunity for info from the "justice" demon...Curious as to why she'd taken an interest in

Dawny...And more important, why she was still hanging around...

And how she had known... "William"...

She didn't quite buy the idea that Haly just wanted to hang with a sister...Her fellow demon

hadn't seemed to feel any need to get together with her much in the past couple of centuries...

And of course if in the course of their conversations, with Xander in nervous attendance...

Lest dear Haly finally persuade Anya to some act she might regret later...Haly should mention

the procedure by which a vengeance demon could be released or expelled, depending on your

pov, from D'Hoffryn's order, well...

That'll be all right too...The key issue, from Xander's pov...

Spike being lower than ever on his list of charities at that particular time, two weeks previous

to William's return...

Unless one considers immediate staking...charity...

It was annoying Halfreck had noted, in a conversation one night that week, eyeing Xander...

With all due respect to both his world-saving love and Anyanka's feeling, seeing a

transgressor getting off scot-free just went against her grain...

"Haly, Xander was just nervous...He never stopped loving me..." Anya had smiled

reassuringly at her beloved...A very lucky man...In both his two great loves...As he

appreciated...

"Couldn't I just pay a call to one of the human females who disliked him back in high

school...There must be plenty of them around..." she smirked at Xander...

"Just something simple...Small...Say, get her to wish me to strike him blind?..." Haly asked...

Haly...Anya sighed...I don't want vengeance...

Justice...Halfreck firmly corrected...I deal in...Justice...

"Justice?..." Xander choked...

Nearly getting us all killed back at Buffy's place was...Justice...?

"Haly...If you were human again...You'd understand..." Anya began...

Pffht...Haly sneered...Aren't we the self-righteous little human wanna-be...?

"I can remember a time, Anyanka...Before you met dreamboat here...You were a champion of

our kind of justice..."

You don't want to hear this...Xander told himself...You want to go straighten out the

stockroom...

"Be in the back, honey..." he called...

"Bye, dreamboat..." Haly cooed...

Don't let anything happen to you in that dark stockroom...

"Haly?...Don't you dare!..."

You know I can't...I'm just jerking his chain...she grinned...

"Haly..." Anya sighed... "You would understand...If you were human...Like..." Anya sensed

an opening...

Back when you knew William...

"In 1880?..." Halfreck smiled...

"What?...1880?...You weren't human in 1880?..."

Then again there weren't many if any men named "William" back in Second Dynasty Egypt

when human Halfreck had tended the Pharaoh's sacred cats as a junior priestess...

But he was...Halfreck grinned...

'Course I did know Spike from before my soul and demon merged...Back in Hell...

Anya blinked...

Very unusual fellow...It was nice to see him finally reach Earth...

Though...Haly sighed...A leetle disappointing...He never quite seemed to want to get together

with me...That damned vampire "mother" of his...

"You know vampires and their taste for incest..." Haly eyed Anya...

They get their little pride together and that's that...

"Xan-der..." Anya called as calmly as possible...

And both William and Spike were always the one woman man type...Haly continued...

Kind of part of their charm really...she noted fondly...

"You..." Anya looked at her...

Hmmn?...Halfreck looked back, cocking her head...

Oh...Right...

Hmm-hmmn...she nodded, smiling...

"What...?" Xander hurried in...

"She cursed William...In 1880..." Anya eyed her sister demon...

But...I thought Drusilla...Xander looked at them...

"Lucky happenstance..." Haly grinned...Fate putting its seal of approval on my work...

Well...Maybe not so lucky...she thought...Just skillful timing...But no need for Anyanka to tell

Buffy that...

But...What did he do?...Anya stared at her...

"Pretty much what he's been doing here until he left..." Halfreck noted...

He got in the Slayer's way, poor sweet fool...

In Buffy's way?...Anya blinked...Xander blinked...

"You mean the 1880's Slayer..." Anya looked at the demon...

William knew the 1880's Slayer?...As a human...?

"Well..." Halfreck paused...The fact is...

OH...! Anya put her hand to her mouth...

"That's why you're here...You're still cursing him..."

Holy!...Anya put the other hand to her mouth...

An?...Xander looked at her...

"Xander...Don't you see?...It was Buffy's wish..."

What?...

But whoa...How could she have?...he paused...

Well...Halfreck noted...Her name was Cicely Addams then...

What?...

It's not that unusual, honey...Anya noted...

Slayers reincarnate more than most people...Very strong lifelines and usually lots of unfinished

business...

"But what did he do to her...To deserve...Drusilla?"...Anya looked at Halfreck...

Oh...Well, nothing really...But Cicely needed him gone...He was very

poor and a very poor poet...And, as she was the Slayer, even then...

Xander stared at Anya...Anya at him...

"You condemned him for nothing?..." Anya stared at the demon...

I'm a demon...It's what I do...Haly shrugged...Anyways, all I did was drive him away...

"Besides...What about that poor girl, Drusilla...Did she deserve her

fate?...Sometimes these extra things just...Happen..."

With a little help, she thought with a touch of pride...After all, is there anything more poetic

than turning one's true love into something one must inevitably hate and destroy?...

But...no need for Ms. Summers to know that...

"I thought you said you were a "justice" demon..." Anya glared...

"Now just a minute..." Halfreck had raised a finger...

"I'm simply doing my job...Carrying out a wish...Your friend's I might point out..."

And when I carry out a wish...It stays...she noted proudly...

With a leetle occasional maintenance...she thought...Eyeing the couple...

Giles had understandably insisted they sit on this "news"...It was hardly likely to contribute to

Buffy's shaken peace of mind just at that time...

When the proper time came, they could tell her...Cautiously...What Halfreck had said...And he

could perform a check to confirm it...

But just then, six weeks after Spike had left, Buffy had had enough to worry about...After the joy

of seeing Willow and the world saved had faded, there was of course Willow's rehabilitation and

the temporarily deferred consequences of Warren's murder to worry about...The continuing

financial worries...And more important...

Spike had left a leetle gift for his girl...

Buffy'd known since eight days before Anya's fateful conversation with her old friend...

Learning it the hard way while on Patrol...In the midst of a surprisingly tough fight with a

rather average, though tall vamp...A female...Who'd sensed it even as they fought...And out of

some buried bit of surviving humanity...Or a perverse sense of vamp humor...Suggested the

Slayer might wish to take a break and finish this one another night, watching Buffy as she

suddenly stopped and parted with her dinner...

"You're not showing yet, Slayer...What less than two months?..." the vamp had asked,

watching her...Sympathetically...?

You really should take it easy, you know...she solemnly told her...Buffy staring at her in

horror...

Showing?...Showing...As in...

Pr...

"And you're too thin...You have to eat properly now..."

Had had her share of children in her former life, she explained pleasantly...

"Can I help you back to your car?...Or are you all right?...No, Franklin..." she waved off her

mate who'd finally come from his hiding place...

Eleanor?...her mate asked nervously...

It's fine, dearest...Truce for tonight...Right, Slayer?...

Buffy was too shocked to do more than nod...No, no...I can manage...she mumbled...

Preg...

Preg...

The tall vampiress eyed her...

"Sure you're alright?..."

"Yeah..." Buffy nodded..."Thanks..."

"Don't forget...You've got to eat properly...And try to keep your feet up when you can..." the

former mother called, waving...

Yeah...Thanks..

You know what I think, the male said to its mate as they left, Eleanor continuing to watch Ms.

Summers as she headed to her car...

We should let our brethren know the Slayer is vulnerable...This could be the one good day we

all look for...

Franklin...Eleanor paused...The poor girl is indisposed...You couldn't...

Hardly sporting dear...

Well...Franklin paused...

Now, Franklin...she eyed him firmly...After all she did let me go...

Of course if you don't care about that...Eleanor looked at her sheepish mate...

Oh...All right...he fussed a bit...

"You've a noble heart Eleanor...But one day it will get you into trouble...Especially with the

Slayer..."

"There'll be another time, dearest..."

They headed back towards the woods by the cemetery...

He paused...

"You know you don't have to go on about my not caring...You have to admit I've tried very

hard to be more sensitive these past years...And it was only one meaningless little affair,

decades ago..."

"You know you're the only girl for me, Babbie..."

Well...I would hardly call it "meaningless"...But...We'll see...Eleanor replied...

We have plenty of time for you to prove yourself...

Eleanor...he groused...

I'm here aren't I?...she noted...Ever since our transformation...

Well...he smiled at her affectionately...

Just don't start thinking I take you for granted...he noted...

I suppose we could just forget we saw the Slayer tonight...he eyed her...

"But...Dearest..." he sighed... "Slayer...Vampire...You've got to start accepting political

realities..."

"Well...Anyway...I'm sure we can find some one doing evil to take tonight..." she noted...

I always feel more comfortable eating evildoers...

You're my moral compass, my dear...he smiled at her...

Romance Palace...Part IX...

A nervous Anya continued to press Buffy to head for home...

Hopefully before William...Or more likely, Spike...Communicated her "news" to Buffy...

Well...Buffy eyed William...

Guess I'd better be going...I'll see you tomorrow, right?...

He nodded...

"Will?..." she paused...Nervously rubbing her hands...

"Was it for me?..."

He eyed her...

"Well...Buffy...To be honest..."

Oh right...Spike groused within...Go ahead, tell her...You stupid... "No, Summers...I...er we

embarked on this little quest to find a way to rip your silly throat open..." Go ahead, you

Angel twit-in-training... Tell her...Blow a perfectly good entry to her pants...It's what you're

best at...A talent for poofery even greater than your awful poetry...

"...I'm not sure what we were after, Buffy...But..." he smiled at her... "Yes...In the end...I think

it was..."

She blinked...And smiling gently at him, nodded...And nodding to Anya went up the stairs to

the basement door...Anya following, a nervous mother hen...

"Xander and I will be back later, Will..." she called from the door...Waiting for Buffy to go

through...

"Good night...William..." Buffy called...hesitantly...Pausing...

Welcome...Home...

She hurried out...

Good night...he called...

"Is she ok?..." he looked up the stairs to Anya...Who waved a hand...

"Lots to think about, Will..." she smiled down at him...

Give her time...

He nodded and Anya headed out...

Give her time?...After all that had just happened here he could wait now till Judgment Day...

he thought...

He'd already waited a century, hadn't he?...Living on nothing but the tiniest crumb of

hope...Well...On what she'd given him just now...

Hmmn...Dear old bro is rather quiet...Finally at a loss for words, eh...

You satisfied, brother?...William smiled inwardly...Pulling some boxes around the basement

to make a sleeping space...

Spike?...

Sp...ike?...

You do know that with an opening like that I would right now be undoing her blouse...the

demon groused...

Say...Spike continued...

She seem funny to you?...

She looked exhausted...They both said she'd fainted before...Really, the others should've kept

a better watch on her, letting her slip out like that...William noted to himself...

No...Well...Yeah...But...There was something else...Spike pondered with his limited capacity...

Well...William considered...She did seem...

Guess she was just overwhelmed by my renewed presence...Spike noted happily...Even

through the blocking poof effect of you, you twit...

Must have been it, brother...William smiled inwardly...

Tears...Those were tears she was blinking back.. Spike continued...

For me, you know...The ex-lover...

Right...William patiently agreed...

Hey it takes so little to make the condemned one happy...

And those were tears...Tears for...Us...he noted...

In wonder...

You haven't told him?...Buffy eyed Anya outside...

Told him?...Ohh...Right...

The little...joy bundle...

"Absolutely not, Buffy..."

She frowned at Anya...

"He looked at me...As if he knew something..."

"Buffy...I would never tell him without your full permission and consent...Which I take it you

are not offering as yet..."

"I can't let him know...Not just yet..."

Hard to avoid him knowing much longer Anya thought...Looking at her friend...

Good thing she wasn't wearing anything tight tonight...

Ummn...Buffy?...

"Have you...Decided?...Anything...?" Anya paused...

Buffy waved a hand...

"Not yet...I can't..."

Well...Maybe you should let him in on...Things...

"It's my decision, Anya...I'll let you guys know what I decide...But he's not to be told...By

anyone but me..."

Ok...Anya looked back at the shop...Oh...Will...

And felt Buffy's hand on her arm...

"Anya...It's really true?..." Buffy asked cautiously...

You're sure...?

"As sure as I can be without Giles doing a thorough soul check, Buffy..."

Are you...Glad?...Anya looked at her...

Buffy paused...Looking down the street...

"I don't know...I...I think so..."

Is he?...she looked Anya in the eyes...

"I think so..." Anya nodded...

Yes...Though he's got a lot ahead of him...And he knows it...

Buffy looked down...Staring...

I didn't do anything for him, Anya...Nothing...All this time...

And if it's true...And his soul was hovering around, trying to fight...

"No...No, Buffy..." Anya smiled...

"You gave him a reason to hang around...Keep fighting..."

Why do you think he stayed and helped us...Even after you died...?

William couldn't give you up...And who knows...

Maybe Spike couldn't either...Even if it cost him...This...

Buffy looked up at her...

"How...How could he love me so much...? I don't understand it...I've never given him

anything...Except to take whatever he offered me...And let him go on...As he was...When I

could at least have released him..."

Oh...Cicely...Anya thought...You don't know the half of it...Oh, I have got to get away from

her before I spill everything...she noted to herself...

And Giles kills me...Or at least leaves me as I am...For good...

"Well, Buffy..." she shrugged... "Really asking the wrong person, you know..." she smiled...

Funny...Anya grinned...

"You know...Willow asked me the same question about Xander the day after he saved her..."

How could he love me so much?...

Halfreck continued her ruminations as she finished her stroll...

So far, whatever if anything, Anya had passed on to Buffy about what she'd told her regarding

Cicely Addams had not been sufficient...

Geesch, I knew Slayers were rather cold and heartless but I mean, C'mon...the demon thought...

If I had caused my innocent...Husband's...death and possibly eternal condemnation...

Well, ok...I did call down vengeance on my common-law feller, back in Egypt...But he

deserved it...Not enough just to fool around, he goes and has me put on the list to be sealed

up in the Queen's pyramid with her corpse...

But Cicely...Well, of course she never realized what she was wishing on poor William...At

least not until it was much too late...

And she must have gone to considerable trouble to win reincarnation...

After all, Anya may not have told her anything yet...

While in the meantime Buffy has been coming together with Spike even in spite of

herself...Almost as bad as he was...Drawn like a magnet...

Not good...

Guess it must be true love...Pity it will be all for nothing in the end...

And at the rate Ms. Summers was trying to run from any thing that might be construed as

even the remotest type of tie last time I checked on things between her and Spike...Even with

the latest disturbing turn of events...I may not even have to intervene...Much...Again...

Maybe just with that bit of help from her friendly guardian demon that had already worked so

well in the past...Though never quite enough...

Well...A justice demon's work is truly never done...

Romance Palace...Part X...

PG-13...

Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant

Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Part X...

Dawn expressed her resentment over Buffy's slipping out...With the ultimate punishment...

"I called Giles and told him you sneaked out..." she told her sister crossly...As Buffy entered

with Anya...

"Dawn...I am not...14..." Buffy glared at her arms-crossed, frowning sister...But paused...

What did he say?...

Unfortunately, that was part of the reason for Dawn's extreme resentment...

"Well...He didn't think it was all that bad...Hoped you found Will ok...But he was concerned

that you ran out after your fainting spell..." she hastily added...

And he was going over to check...On him...And you...

Oh...Buffy looked at Anya...Fretting just a bit...Giles might be a leetle...with Spike just now,

knowing as he did about...My little...Problem...

Even knowing about Will's soul's return...Angry substitute papadom might well win out over

sympathy for William...Not even considering that ole Watcher practicality that might

encourage preventative measures against either the soul thing being a trick or any chance of a

Spike return...

Kinda nice, in a way...Not that she was sliding back into dependency...Just nice to have a

"papa" on hand who would not hesitate to take the shotgun to the boy who got his little girl

"in difficulties"...Make him do the "right thing"...

Gulp... "right thing"?...Why did I have to think of that...? Uh-boy...

Besides, she thought confusedly...William never in his life behaved dishonorably...And if he

had known...Nothing they did would have made him leave me...

He'd never have run off...Whatever that thing said to him...He'd have lived...And our baby

and I wouldn't have...

Wouldn't have...What?...she murmured...Staring around...

"Buffy?..." Anya looked at her...Then Dawn...Who was also looking, increasingly nervous...

There she goes again...Geesch...Dawn looked at Anya...

"What is wrong with me?..." Buffy whispered...Who is wrong with me?...

"Buffy?..." Dawn was getting frightened now...

It's Xander's neurologist tomorrow her look said to Anya...No more excuses...

The Slayer looked at Anya and Dawn...

"Sorry guys...It's been a long day..."

You are seeing a doctor tomorrow...Dawn said grimly...

Buffy nodded an ok...Which perhaps frightened Dawn more than anything else...What if it's

something to do with...?

Anya gave Dawn a reassuring look...Wish I could say something to her about this, the demon

thought sadly...

Not that telling her about Cicely is likely to be much reassurance...

"I'll be ok, Dawny...And I will see a doctor..." Buffy patted her sis' shoulder...

But, first things first...

"Anya, you're going back, right?...You and Xander will make sure Giles doesn't...Do

anything?..."

Xander?...Dawn thought...Hell, Xander would help him...At least considering all his rants the

past couple of weeks...Since he found out the "big secret" they've been trying to keep from

me...

Right, like I don't notice when Buffy suddenly gives up her beloved tight blouses and pants

and switches to loose stuff...Even on Patrol when it could get in her way...

So much for including me in her life...And did I give even a hint to Will when he was here?...

All that time I was ready to explode...Scream it at him when he first came to the door...And

then wanting to hug him and tell him when he told me what had happened to him...

Anya nodded to Buffy...They'd see Giles didn't get too upset...And really, she didn't think

he would...He'd shown a lot of sympathy for Will during the times his name had come up

when he'd been around this summer...

"And besides, he'd never stake the..." Anya paused as Buffy glared...

Anya looked at Dawn, Dawn frowned...Geesch...What am I, five years old?...

Ummn...Anya continued...Someone we all cared about...In spite of his past transgressions...

Thanks...Buffy nodded...

And thanks for not...her look said...Anya smiled and nodded...

She left with a wave...Teleporting to Xander's to save time...

Neat thing...Buffy noted to Dawn...Not that I want her to stay trapped that way...

Dawn, somewhat over her fright, had not finished venting however...

"I...nearly...Called Willow after Giles when I couldn't find you..."

Hmm-hmmn...Buffy nodded absently...

"Willow looked good tonight, didn't she?..."she noted...

Hope she'll be able to handle it when Giles removes the memory block about Warren...

"Still don't understand why he has to..." Dawn groused...

"She's just gotten over losing Tara...To Giles' unspecified evil enemy..."

Why put her through it all over again for Warren Mears' sake...?

"It's for her sake...Not Warren's..." Buffy stressed gently...

Willow has to deal with this...She killed a human being...Even if she was insane at the time...

"So you're gonna let her turn herself in...Or maybe even...?" Dawn paused...

You know what she was like the first days after Xander brought her back...

"Willow is strong...She won't hurt herself..." Buffy insisted...

It was the power controlling her before...

"I wasn't exactly rational last summer when I threatened everyone over you, you know..." she

pointed out...

"But even if she doesn't...Hurt herself...The cops are never gonna believe the insane with grief

and mystic energy story..."Dawn hesitated...

Even I...she paused...Looking down...

"Even I can't quite get past what she did...Tried to do...To all of us..."

Buffy patted her...

"But she didn't in the end..." Buffy noted, hugging Dawn...

Our Willow came back to us in the end...And she will now, whatever happens...

"As for the police..." Buffy grinned... "Well, they're not all quite as clueless as you may

think..."

I've had to deal with them on occasion...And Giles has...Contacts...

"Can't go round staking human-looking things all over Sunnydale every night without

somebody calling the cops every now and then..."

We'll explain things...They'll help her...But first she has to deal...And it's important that she

makes the decision whatever the possible consequences are...

Ok...Dawn nodded, still looking sourly at her sis...

Speaking of dealing...she thought...Glowering a bit...

I know someone else who has to face up to the consequences of her actions...

"He looked...So exhausted..." Buffy suddenly blurted...

Near tears, Dawn realized in wonder...

Did you see those scars on him?...They're all over him...Buffy looked at her sis...

"He must have been hurt so bad...Glory-level hurt...For me, again..."

She stared at Dawn...Trembling...

"Trying to save me...Again...From himself..."

"My poor William..." she burst into tears...

Oh...Dawny...What am I gonna do?...

Dawn hugged her desperately...

"Buffy, this isn't bad...If it's true...It's wonderful..."

"I'm...Pregnant, Dawn..." Buffy whispered...

Yeah...Dawn nodded...

What?...Whatdaya mean, "Yeah..."?...

"I mean...You're starting to show, sis..."

God...No...she raced to the large mirror in the hall just off the living room...

She angled herself...Nope...Other side...Nah...A little turn...Oops...

Oh, God...

"You look great though...A real glow..." Dawn noted...Grinning...

Shut up...Buffy glared at her...

Dawn continued to grin...Buffy broke into a sheepish smile...

"He's gotta be a good man, Buffy...For Spike to be what he was this past year, William has to

be..." Dawn told her confidently...

Buffy nodded quietly, coming back into the living room and sitting on the sofa...Dawn

huddling into her arms...

"I had to go and see him, Dawn..." Buffy eyed her...

I had to know...If he'd...Changed...

Dawn looked at her...

Buffy looked away...But a faint smile broke...

"It was William...All this time...Whatever part Spike played this year...William was the one

who loved me..."

He hasn't changed...she smiled...A tear running down her face...

"Not a chance..." Dawn smiled at her...Of course...she paused...

He did seem a little...Annoyed with you

Not in all this time...I haven't lost him...Buffy murmured...

Well...Dawn thought...It's only been eight weeks...Still I suppose there was no way to be sure

how William would feel about her...

If he can forgive me...she went on, dreamily...Oh, God...It could still be put right...Even now...

"Well..." Dawn paused... "I still don't understand why he should be miffed at you not staking

him..."

What?...Buffy looked blankly at her...

"I just mean...If you'd staked him, he'd never have had the chance he's got now...If it is all

true..." Dawn cautiously noted...

Buffy looked at her...Blinking...What was the little girl saying?...William had wanted...?

"He wanted to die?..." she began sobbing quietly...Clenching her fists...

Oh God, what have I done?...Oh, darling I wanted to save you...

Buffy?...Dawn stared at her...Hmmn...She was drifting off again...

"I wanted to save him..." she looked frantically at Dawn...Taking her hands...

He'd have been killed if he stayed...

"Buffy?..." Dawn was getting truly frightened now...And the pressure on her hands was

rising...

I had to...I had to...she murmured...Sobbing...

"Buffy?...You're scaring me..." Dawn looked at her...Not to mention crushing my hands, she

thought...

Stop this...

"I loved him so..."

"Buffy?..." Dawn shook her a bit...

"He was 'annoyed' with me...?" Buffy suddenly came out of it...

Ummn...

"Well...I guess I should have done something for him...But it was a busy year, right?..." she

looked at Dawn...

Ummn...Yeah...she replied...Staring at her sis...

What?...Buffy eyed her...

Looking like this year's gonna be an even busier one...Dawn thought...

"It's important..."

Yeah, yeah...

"A creature like William and Spike needs all the support he can get..."

Yeah, yeah...

"To counter the demon's natural attempts to influence the soul...You know like those cartoons

with the little devil and angel appearing on Fred Flintstone's shoulder...Only the angel is his

new-found conscience and well, you know who the devil one is..."

Uhhh...Xander groaned...Readjusting the heavy box on his shoulder...

Ferrying all this stuff to the Box just to please An...Well...Ok...Will do...But, geesh...

For William the Bloody?...To make sure our manic killer nemesis and would be Buffy-rapist

is "comfy"...

"So...Be nice..." Anya continued...

"And what if this turns out to be a trick?...If he's got some magic whatdayacallit, good enough to

fool even Giles...We let him hang around and the next thing you know, Buffy..."

Goes back to him?...she eyed him as they reached the shop door...

Uhhhhh...he glared at her...

But...Yeah, that was about the sum of all his fears...

He paused on the step...Putting the box down...

"Geesh...When I think of her...With him...Him taking advantage of the way she was..."

And now we're encouraging him to stay...?

Xander?...Be fair, she went to him when they were lovers...And you know about Cicely now...

This isn't some crazy side effect of resurrection...

"I'm not accepting Halfreck's story without some confirmation besides Buffy getting all

hallucinationy..."

But you know...As well as I do...That she loves him...Anya eyed him...

And with good reason...Think of how he was this past year...Always trying to be there for her,

do you have any idea how hard that must have been?...What he had to overcome?...

Xander stared at her...

Ummn...Anya looked away...

"I'm sorry..." Xander looked at her... "An...I'm so sorry, honey..."

It's all my fault...

Oh...Xander...

Xander, Alexander...Please don't cry...Anya hugged him...

Don't cry, baby...Don't cry...she rocked him...It'll work out, I promise...Giles will find

something...Or find something to offer D'Hoffryn in exchange...

It's not so bad for me...Really...At least I'm not compelled to kill like Spike...And I'm not

angry...Much...Anymore...My soul is pretty intact...

"And I have you...Pulling for me..."

C'mon...Spike will laugh at you if he sees you've been crying...Even if you can't hear him, I

can...she grinned at him...

And I don't want that demon making fun of my feller...

He rubbed his head and laughed at that...

"When Buffy was invisible..." he paused...

"She was at his crypt...When I came to see Spike, looking for her..."

It didn't hit me until after she told me about them...

He looked at Anya...And smiled...

"She was all over him, pulling on his ear...It wasn't some kind of weird thrall...She was happy

to be with him..."

He sat on the box and looked at her...

"If all this...Is really true...?"

I think it is...Anya replied...But we'll know beyond all doubt when Giles checks him out...

"Buffy and William...God...Well...If it does hafta be a vampire...With a soul...Well, at least

Will's the staying type..."

What if it's all true, Xander?...If this has been a love story going on since 1880?...Anya

paused...

Then..he grinned...

"Cicely, you got some 'splaining to do..." he smiled...

And they went in...

Romance Palace...Part XI...

Part XI...

Xander and Anya found William in the shop's main room...Sharing a quiet cup

of tea with one Rupert Giles...

"Spike has access to information that could be useful...To Buffy as well as

me..." William was going on..."If I allow him to continue communicating..."

"And...I am a vampire, soul not withstanding...Still Immortal, still powerful

enough to do soome good...If I'm going to make sensible use of all that, any

info Spike can provide is worth the occasional tussle..."

Giles nodded...

"He can't get the upper hand again...Not with me in control..."

Pfhht...You sodden poof, if I hadn't been stupid enough to try that demon

god...Spike groused within...

"Well..." Giles sighed...Nodding to Xander and Anya who came cautiously

into the room...Xander heaving the box...

"You're probably right to keep access to Spike...Best to know what if

anything he's up to..."

William nodded to the newcomers...Eyeing Xander, with a wry grin...

"He will help, Giles..." he paused...

"He loves Buffy too, I have to grant him that..."

Loves her...Too?...Spike glared internally...Too? #$%$!ing too?...I was the

one who...

Found my wife for me?...Thanks, brother...William grinned within...

Whoa...

Anya stared at William...Being the only other person on hand who could hear

that conversation...

Wife?...she thought, gulping...

Wife?...

Xander looked at Giles...

"So...This means you believe him...?"

"I don't disbelieve him, Xander...This sort of thing has happened on a few

rare occasions..." Giles noted...

"Giles will test me out, thoroughly, Harris...Starting tomorrow..." William

smiled at Xander...

He eyed the box and grinned at Anya...For me?...

Anya smiling back...

"Just a few things to get you set up..." she noted...

I know sss...something that would set me up just fine, pet...Spike whispered internally...

Developing a lisp, brother?...William smiled internally...

"He's just trying to keep his edge with the serpentine thing...It's rough on him, no more

wowing the ladies with those cutting, cold hunter looks and all..." he smiled

apologetically at Anya...Xander staring...

It's fine...Anya nodded...Nice try, Spike...Very Garden of Eden...

Anya is so kind, isn't she...Brother...? William grinned within...

$%%*# kind Anya...!

"I think we can give William the benefit of the doubt for now, Xander..." Giles noted...

Well...Xander sighed and waved his hands...Why not?...

God knows I've seen everything else in this "side career" of mine...he

thought...

"I understand congratulations are in order, Harris..." William grinned at

him...

World-saving by love alone...Not too shabby, I would say...

"Willow just needed to remember who she was..." he replied quietly...

"Only one person could have made her remember..." William pointed out...

Hey!...Spike called from below...World-saving demon here, you know...Remember

how I saved the world from Angelis?...

Buffy saved the world from Angelis, Spike...William hissed...You decided not to

help him..

But it was the right thing to do...throwing a bone...

"Spike...er, Will..." Xander began...

"Understand...I'm glad for you, if this is true...I respect what you tried to

do for Buffy and Dawn last summer...I'm even willing to concede that you

helped her this past year...You were there for her in ways the rest of we

couldn't be..."

Damned straight there, Xan...Spike growled within...Listen to our ole pal,

bro...

Lets remember who was running the show back then, though...

Our "ole pal"?...William thought...

"But...Buffy is my only concern here...And I'll do whatever it takes to

protect her..." Xander went on...

"Meaning...I'll destroy you if you hurt her...Soul or no soul..."

Anya?...Spike let out a leetle call...

"He won't hurt you, Spike...Unless you hurt Buffy..." Anya

replied...Breaking into the conversation...

Xander and Giles looked at her...

Spike's a little nervous, William explained...

Hey!...Just thinking of our girl here...Spike hastily called within...

She needs us...Intact...

Hmm-hmmn...William returned...Well, don't worry...Anya will protect us from

our "ole pal"...

Xander frowned at Anya...Leetle hard to take, her with a direct line to

Spike...

He brushed it off and eyed William...

"On the other hand...I know she loves you...And I know about Cicely

Addams..."

Oh...Not everything about Cicely...Anya thought...

Wife?...Holy!...

Well...Spike groused to her from within...So, tell everyone...he internally

sneered...Summers is our property, our chattel...

Hands off...I stake our claim...God knows poof boy here will never...Hey!...

William crushed him down...Eyeing Anya...Not yet, his look saying...

Oh...Why do I have to be the one to hear Spike?...she thought,

fidgetting...Hurry up Xander, so you can drag this one out of me when we're

alone...

Wife...? My God and she made the wish that...

"And I want her to have the happiness she deserves..." Xander continued...

He sighed...So...

I'll give you a chance, for her sake...Hope for the best...

"But I will be watching you..."

"You're a good brother, Harris..." William grinned at him...

You remind me of an old friend I once had...Cicely's cousin Henry Foxcroft...

He introduced Cicely and me in 1880...Helped me and us out many a time...And,

I'm sure, looked after her...When...Well...

Oh...Anya was getting dizzy from the repression...A good and concerned husband

too, after all these years of suffering...Oh...

She sat down, apologetically...

A little tired after the long night she explained to Giles...

"I mean...I'm glad to know Buffy has someone like that..." William

concluded...

Xander looked at him and nodded...

"Speaking of Cicely Addams..." Giles waded back in...

"We need to learn more about her...And why Buffy is having these flashes of

past-life experience now...?"

Well?...Anya spoke up...Isn't it obvious?...What with...she paused, Xander

frowning slightly at her...Giles eyeing her...

Ummn...

Oh, God...That one too...Oh...

Thank God Giles and Xander know about that...

Whaat?...Spike asked, innocently as Spike could...

Whoops...Stop thinking so loud Anya, she thought...

"What with William getting his soul back, her resurrection, all that..." she

went on to the group...

"It's bound to shake a few memories loose..." she noted...

Did you catch that?...William noted within to Spike...

Catch what?...the demon groused...

Not all that sharp without full access to brain and externals, are

you?...William noted to himself

Hey!...

Anya was going to spill something...William explained to his "brother"...

Oh...You think so...? Spike sneered...

Sharp as a sledgehammer aren't you, brother...You stupid poof, of course she

was gonna spill something...And I could of gotten it out of her in ...

Oh, damn...#$%^&$ing! Damn!...Spike internally hollered...

What?...William questioned...himself...

Angel...He must be back...Or coming...

What?...Angel?...No...It couldn't be...

"Will?..." Giles looked at him...

"Hmmn...? Oh, sorry, Rupert..."William came to with a start...

"Spike has to get his little comments in...Demands an attentive

audience..."

"I was asking about how well you knew Cicely...In your previous life..."

Giles explained...

Ah...Well...William paused...

"Say..." he hesitated...

"Any word from ole Angel these days?..."

"Christ-imitiating twit..." both brothers chorused internally...

On this subject the "brothers" Walthrop were in perfect agreement...

How well did I know Cicely Addams?...William thought...Eyeing Giles...

Angel threat not imminent, according to the Watcher...thank God...

How well?...

Preety well...both "brothers" mentally chorused...

Anya eyed him...

Hell, she's gonna blow any minute...Spike noted within...

And if you start telling secrets, maybe she...

"Ummn...As to Cicely..." William began...

Even he enjoying the look on Xander's face as he went on...

Holy!...A stunned Xander repeated...

For the fifteenth time, Anya noted as they walked to his car...

It can't be...It can't...he insisted...For the fourteenth time...

"It's gotta be a lie...It can't be..."

Fifteenth time, Anya noted patiently...

"Well...It could be a lie...Or William could just be confused..." she

kindly replied, supportive hopefully soon-to-be-spouse-at-last that she was...

But...Holy!...

Sixteenth on that one...

"It's true..." Xander sighed, giving up...

"They're...Married..."

Well...Anya pointed out...A marriage between Cicely Addams and William Soames Walthrop in 1880

doesn't necessarily apply to Buffy Anne Summers in 2002...Even if we take the reincarnation

thing into account...

And we can't be sure what Buffy's feelings for him are yet...

Meanwhile, at the Summers home...

Dawn watched in shock...As Buffy danced around the room to music...Carefully,

considering...Grabbing her occasionally for a spin...

Suggested Theme...Heatwave...

"Whenever I'm with him

Something inside

Starts to burnin'

And I'm filled with desire

Could it be a devil in me

Or is this the way love's supposed to be

Just like a heatwave

Burning in my heart

Can't keep from cryin'

It's tearing me apart

Whenever he calls my name

So slow, sweet and plain

I feel, yeah, yeah, I feel that burning flame

Has the hot blood pressure got a hold on me?

Or is this the way love's supposed to be?

Just like a heatwave

Burning in my heart

Can't keep from cryin'

It's tearing me apart

Sometimes I stare in space

Tears all over my face

I can't explain it, don't understand it I 'ain't never felt like this before

Now that funny feeling has me amazed

I don't know what to do, my head's in a haze

Just like a heatwave

Burning in my heart

Can't keep from cryin' It's tearing me apart

(Chorus)

Don't pass up this chance

This time it's a true romance

Heatwave"

Buffy crashed into the coffee table...Whoops...She eyed Dawn apologetically...

Sorry...

Oh...God...Dawn stared blankly...

I had to let him into the house...I had to have Clem get those damned bags...

Oh my God...

Still...Looking at her sheepish sis' beaming face...

She's happy...

But...Oh, my God...Not that I don't like Will...Even Spike in a way...Just...

Oh...my...God...

Romance Palace...Part XII...

She'll lead you down a path

There'll be tenderness in the air...

Part XII...

Dawn managed to get Buffy to bed a half-hour later, pleading school

tomorrow...Little sis needs her rest...

No more dancing, please...

Only to hear her talking excitedly on her bedroom phone to Willow, when she

crept down the hallway to check on Buffy a little later...Geesch, what a kid...

Must be the hormones...Say...?

Why the hell is she talking to Willow?...She knows I know...

What, am I five years old?...Some "sharing her life" this is...

Geesch...she groused as she crept back to bed...

The world moves too fast these days...Xander sighed...As he drove Anya to the

shop the next morning...

She could teleport of course but pass up a "humanish" drive to work with

Xander?...No way...

Besides...They had lots to talk about...Following their daily review of plans

in "Campaign Anya-Restoration"...And Xander preferred not to have her suspend

time in their apartment while they had breakfast...

Hmm-hmmn, Anya agreed...But if you won't let me suspend time...

"I just mean...Things are moving so fast...Us, Buffy and her...gulp...baby...,

"William", the "when and what do we tell Willow about Warren?" thing, all of

it..." he paused...

It's just all piling up at once...

"But it's a happy pile, mostly..." she pointed out..."Or at least it will be

when it's all sorted out...It's not like last year...When we didn't know what

to do, where we were going..."

He eyed her...

"Everything's different..." she explained..."We have goals now...Good

ones...You and me, straighten things out with D'Hoffryn, help Willow

recover...Buffy...Get back to college, care for Dawn, work things out with

human-souled William, her Cicely side, and the baby..."

William...Get settled, deal with his or Spike's past, help Buffy and...

Enough already...Xander groaned...But smiled...

"You're right though, everything is different..."

"And I didn't say...Easier..." Anya smiled back... "Just different...Tough,

maybe...But there's light ahead now...And that makes all the difference..."

"Vive la difference!..." Xander grinned, nodding...

But he hesitated...Not light for all of us...

"But Willow is getting better every day..." Anya noted..."She's got her parents

and family by her again...And us...And she's gonna be fine..."

Now...Anya paused, sensing her opening...Speaking of William getting settled...

To her surprise, Xander was prepared...

Give "William" a job...At the Box?...Hell, why not...

He'd be there all day anyway...

At least this way they could keep an eye on him...

And Buffy would love it...

But...He eyed her...

We sit on our offer until Giles confirms things this morning...And...

He joins a union...There's one for clerical workers...

Unions are the bedrock of the workingman's rights, you know...he noted...

Geesch...Anya frowned...

Wasn't like I wasn't gonna pay him minimum wage at least...she thought...

On the other hand, if we vengeance demons had a union...I could probably force

D'Hoffryn to let me go right now...

Hmmn...Maybe I need to speak with my "sister" demons about organizing for our

rights...We wanted to get more 1880 details out of Halfreck anyway...

"Say, honey...I've got an id..."

Holy?...Xander stared at the Magic Box door as he pulled in...

A sheepish Buffy standing on the steps...

Hi guys...she waved...

I didn't want to wake William if he was still sleeping, she explained

embarassedly...As the three entered...

Just wanted to make him feel...At home...

First day back and all...she went on, nervously...

"You should be sleeping in, Buffy..." Xander stared at her...

"Oh...I'm fine...Couldn't sleep any more this morning after I got Dawn off..."

Brought breakfast...she waved a bag of bagels...

And a little more...You know, "supplemental nutrient"...she nodded at a box at

her feet...

Where'd she get blood at 7:00 am?...Xander wondered...

"You've got a fridge in the basement, right?..." she asked Anya...

Hmm-hmmn...

Guess you'd better take your soda out of it first, honey...Anya whispered to

Xander as Buffy peered around the shop and eyed the door to the basement...

Hey, Giles...Willow grinned at the Watcher as he picked her up at her

parents'...

"Quite a day, yesterday,huh?..."

I mean William and Spike and all...

Giles nodded, waving at Mrs. Rosenberg...

"Got my fingers...And toes crossed...For William..." Willow smiled as she

buckled up...

God, this would be so great...Ummn...she eyed Giles...Well...

"So potentially...Nice...For Buffy..."

Especially right now...

"I can't say as I completely see the "great" there..." Giles began, but

smiled...

"But yes, it would be nice...Potentially...For her..."

Though...Will faces a difficult time, if all this is true...he noted...

Willow stared at the dash...Hmmn...

"You don't mean he's got to atone for all the stuff Spike did?...Get all

Angelly?..."

Poor guy's been trapped with that little maniac for a century plus, Giles...If

he wasn't lying to us...

Are you saying he's got to go off and earn redemption now...?

God, no...Giles shook his head...

"Will can't be held responsible for Spike's actions...Although there will be

those who claim otherwise, likely including some of his victims' relations...If

any survive...And possibly the Council or at least some members...Though there

is a set policy of absolution towards the rare demonic creature who recovers a

soul..."

So...Willow eyed him...The Angel thing is not an absolute for absolution?...

Giles rolled his eyes, watching the road...Angel...

"I respect Angel's efforts...But frankly Willow, I find it difficult to see why

he should have found it so impossible to stay near Buffy...Even if it took

years to obtain a solution to the problem of the curse..."

"I was kinda wondering why he didn't come after Buf's resurrection...At least

until we found out about him and Darla...And Connor..."

Yes...Giles frowned at the road...Darla...Well...

If she is his actual true love, all's for the best then...he noted...Still...

"That boy likes playing hero...Solo...And I think we would find there is a good

reason as to why he feels he must atone..."

Willow glanced at the clearly angry Watcher...

Guess somebody hasn't forgotten poor Ms. Calendar...she thought sadly...Poor

Giles...

I know what that's like...

"But...The remorse is inevitable..." he sighed... "And William is obviously a

good and decent man...I spoke to him last night at the shop and it's clear he's

already feeling the weight of Spike's crimes..."

He grinned a bit at the windshield...

"My boy Randall was no aberration...that was William we saw that day...And in

flashes all last summer..."

She grinned at him...Why Rupert Giles...

So our Watcher finally has a son as well as a daughter...

Gee...she thought, just a hair sadly...

My poor Xander...He's tried so hard to measure up all these years, but Giles

has never quite...

"Oh, Willow..." Giles shook his head... "He'll be going through a lot of

suffering in the next few months...And he's long ago lost everyone he's ever

cared for...Except..."

Buffy...And Dawn...Willow filled in...

"I meant to include all of us...Including you, Willow..." Giles smiled at her a

second...

Still...He must be a strong lad to have endured so much...And with our help, he

can build a place for himself here...

Here?...Willow thought...Well...I suppose so...And he is the fath...Gulp...

"He can be a great help to Buffy...Especially now...And..." Giles glanced at

Willow...

Later...

Holy!...she looked at Giles...Not son!...He's looking at Will as

potential...Buffy spouse material..?

Son-in-law...? she thought in astonishment...

"And...There's something else involved here, Willow...Which I think you should

know..." Giles began as he turned into Main Street...Pulling into a spot

outside the shop...

Giles?...Willow stared at him...

"Buffy may have known William before..."

Before?...she asked, brightly...

Back in Chicago?...Did Spike show up back then?...

Long before, Willow...Giles eyed her...

Unwilling to risk waking poor Will from his well-earned rest, Buffy had paced

the shop...Anya eyeing Xander as he eyed her...

This is bad...his look said...

Thank God I decided to take the day and see how Giles' tests go...And press him

on "Campaign Anya"...

"He looked better last night after I got him that ointment..." Anya called over

to the pacing Buffy...Who'd halted to stare at the basement door yet again...

Really?...Buffy looked at her...

Anything would've looked better...After seeing how bad the wounds really

were...Anya did not say...God, what did he fight over there?...

Geesch...Hope D'Hoffryn doesn't make me take him on for my restoration...she

thought...Not that it wouldn't be worth it...she eyed Xander...Just...

Ouch...

Much better...she nodded to the Slayer...

"Say..." Anya paused...Hoping to halt Buffy in her efforts to wear away the

shop floor...

"Xander and I had a great idea...About Will..." she began...

Uh-huh...Anya nodded...As Buffy continued...

See...I owe Giles...A lot...Buffy was explaining to Anya...

'Bout time I nailed priorities down and got to 'em...

Giles and Willow entered...To find Xander watching Anya and Buffy...

You're not gonna believe this one...his look to them said...

Uh-huh...Anya repeated, nodding at Buffy...

"Hey guys..." she waved to Giles and Willow...

Well on the one hand, she thought, eyeing Buffy's hopeful face...Buffy and

William...Working together...So cute to watch them every day...It'd be like

that movie...Only..."The Little Magic Shop Around the Corner"...

"Plus I could use a little extra cash and maybe a...flexible...job schedule..."

Buffy continued her pitch..."If things work out for my readmission to

UCal-Sunnydale in January..."

Uh-huh...Hmmn...On the other hand...She was not the most reliable and steadfast

of employees last November...

Plus they both have a tendency to attract large, violent,

insurance-rate-raising creatures...Not their fault, really, just the way things

work...

I know things didn't work out well last November, Buffy paused...

"Is she asking for what I think she's asking for?..." Willow hissed to

Xander...Sliding into a chair next to him...

He rolled his eyes...Giles eyed the basement door...But said nothing and went

to get his test materials...

"Xander?..." Willow eyed him slyly, whispering... "You gave William a job,

didn't you?..." Grinning...

He eyed her...

"It's not set yet...We haven't spoken to him..."

"You crazy romantic..." she poked him...He waved his hands but gave a wry grin

back...

An's idea...he nodded at his demon betrothed...I just caved...

I guess...Buffy needs it even more than he does...he sighed...

"God, Will...I hope this is the right thing to do..."

God why did we ever fuse the two Xanders back together?...Willow thought, a bit

sadly as she patted him...The world needs at least two...

And I could sure use one these days...

Oh, Anya sighed to herself, staring at Buffy...Look at that face...And Buffy

should be where we can keep an eye on her at least part of the day, now...

After all, it's the real reason Giles is staying on...

And William needs her...His reason for going on...

"But..." Buffy continued, a little nervous, a lot riding on this one..."I was

still upset then...Couldn't focus well after my resurrection and all...And..."

she hesitated, sheepishly...

Hmmn...Well, I guess we can deal with the occasional Cicely fit...And the

need for multiple rest breaks...Anya thought, sighing a little...Oh, I am just

a fool for love...she noted to herself...Like my sweet honey, she eyed

Xander...

Hmmn...I can be good and let him sit and talk to poor Willow alone for exactly

two more minutes...she noted to herself...

"...William needs...Someone to watch out for him...While he readjusts..." Buffy

concluded...

Well...She was a good salesperson, after all...When she actually

worked...Briefly...Anya pondered...Plus, having the Slayer and William the

Bloody, even human-souled, working here is bound to attract attention among

the magically-inclined...A real draw...

"Well, Buffy...If Giles says we can manage it for the two of you

financially...It's ok by me..." Anya smiled...

So long as they don't start fighting each other to the death again...

Hmmn...she eyed Xander and Willow again...Time's up...And I have an opening...

"Guess what?..." she popped into the empty chair next to Xander and

Willow...Both jumping...

An?...Xander frowned...

Sorr-y...But guess what?...Buffy and William are gonna be working here...she

smiled at Willow...

Buffy had gone over to ask Giles about the tests for William...And his opinion

on her job application...

You've a kind heart, partner...he thought, smiling over at Anya...Who, looking

back, shrugged and waved her hands...So I won't be a millionaireness by

thirty...

I really must find a way back for her...he sighed to himself...Looking at

Xander now...

Who was now coming over...To inquire on "Campaign Anya"...It having been at

least fifteen minutes since he'd last asked...

"These tests won't...Hurt? Will they?..." Buffy paused...

He's been hurt a lot this year...she explained...

Mostly by me...she did not say...

He'd be hurt a lot more if your condition were a result of Spike's last pass at

you...Xander thought as he reached them in time to hear Buffy's last...

Willow looked at Xander...Xander at Anya...Anya at...William...All three

struggling to keep a straight face...

Buffy firmly planted right in front of him, fussing over...The Randy suit...

Only thing he had left from the old days still fit to wear in lighting

approaching sunlight, during business hours...Fortunately having escaped Riley

and Buffy's little hand grenade party at Spike's old place by being left at the shop...

Giles however, burst into prolonged laugher at the sight...

Hey!...Spike groused within...No need to act as if we don't have feelings...

Much to everyone's surprise, William joined in, head in his hands...While Buffy

turned and a slight, but definite glare came into her look...

Whoa...Xander thought...

Cicely's home to defend the hubs...

"You look fine, Will..." she returned to the chuckling William...Who put up a

hand...

"I look...Like a ridiculous caricature of my old self..." he grinned at

her..."Except for the blonde hair..."

"But I appreciate the kind support..." he smiled at her...

She nodded, smiling back...

Long overdue, Cicely-Buffy!...Spike bellowed within...High time you tended to

your wifely duties, there girl...

What the hell happened in 1880?...Anya wondered...This is not a woman who

scorned her ridiculous lover...

And I oughta know...

"No offense intended, my dear girl..." Giles smiled at Buffy...

"Very Randall, William..." he grinned at him...And went to get the last

implements...

Oh...Rats...Anya turned to Xander...Incoming message from the boss...

"I've got to go...It's my one chance for an audience today..."

Good luck, boys...she called to William...

"Ask him, Xander, please?...If I can't get back for a while..." she blew a kiss

to Xander and vanished...

Anya's trying D'Hoffryn again...Xander explained...

If she keeps pointing out she'll never allow a violent wish to go through,

maybe he'll see reason...And let her go...

"For whatever crazy reason, she still thinks he's basically a good guy...From

the demonic pov..."

Well...Giles nodded at him...We'll find a way in time...

"It will work out, Xander...This is gonna be a good year for us..." Buffy

grinned at him...

I just know it...she smiled at William...

She looks radiant...

Spike?...William mentally asked...himself...

Rather an unusual choice of words for his maniac "brother"...

But she does look...Jesus...

Oooh...Taking Angel's true name in vain, brother?...Spike grinned within...

So...You finally caught on...

It can't be...

It is...Spike noted happily within...She's...Preggers...Look at her waist...And

notice the loose clothes...? And the..."Glow"...? he sneered...

My God...

He felt a hand on his shoulder...

"Will?..." Buffy looked at him...He seemed a bit preoccupied...

Hmmn...Oh...

"Giles will be ready to start in ten minutes..." she explained, smiling...

She shyly kissed him...

He stared back at her...In wonder...

Even Spike was speechless at this one...

"I believe in you..." she whispered..."William, I wanted you to know

that...Before..."

She eyed him...A bit dazed...

Buffy...Oh, God...he thought...Cicely...My Cicely...

You remember...She remembers, Spike...he called within...

That was her last letter to us...Before...

Before she married and left us...Spike finished...But there was no anger in his

echoing voice within...

She remembers...Cicely...And...I am a father...At last...the "brothers"

chorused to themselves within...In wonder...

Xander frowned at Buffy...Pushing things...His expression said...

Willow a little worried herself...Maybe pushing things, Buf...Her expression

said...

Probably the hormones got our Cicely's memories to sparking...Plus the news of

our incredible heroic odyssey...Spike suggested within...

Preggers...And it took my hunter skills to ferret out this one, bro...the demon

noted proudly...

Bull...You can sense the little soul's presence...William replied...to

himself...

Well, only barely...And only as of this morning...Spike noted...

Well, he sneered...

Looks like I did it...Bagged yet another Slayer...And in a way no vampire has

ever even considered...

Angel...

Angel...Couldn't cut the mustard...Slayerwise, anyway...C'mon,

bro...Rejoice...I'm willing to give your poof body a little share of the

credit...

Buffy looked back at the others...A determined, but slightly dazed look in her

eyes...

"Tell the Council...I am done with it..." she told Willow firmly...

"We are going away..."

Buffy?...Willow looked at her...

Nice English accent, there...

"Buffy..." William touched her arm gently...

"Ummn..." she blinked...

"Buffy?...What about the Council?..." Willow asked her, nervously...

And what the heck do you mean...Going away?...

The...Council...? Buffy asked...Ummn...

"It's all right..." William patted her hand...

She's just a little out of sorts...he told Willow...

Nothing to get upset about...

"What the hell is with her?..." Xander hissed to the returned Giles...

"More like...Who is with her?...I'd say..." Giles noted...

God...Pregnant...Buffy and I are...Both the "brothers" were still struggling to

deal...Even as William continue to pat her hand...

Unless she hopped in the sack with ole Riley or Xan...Spike pondered

within...Maybe gave the Ripper a turn at last...Hey!...

William crushed him down...Nodding to Xander and Willow...

We'll go slow, folks...No need to freak...his look said...

You suppose where Dawn is "made" from Buffy, we could do her as well?...Spike

questioned...When Buffy's not available, I mean...I'm not suggesting a twoso...

Hey, mate I asked!...As Will slammed him down...

Romance Palace...Part XIII...

"It's not fair..." Halfreck groused to D'Hoffryn...Standing by him in his massive, gloomy

reception hall, surrounded by cold mist drifting in, accompanied by the howls of condemned

and tortured unfaithfuls...

The obstacles put in my way in this one...The amount of follow-up time required...

I deserve a little help...

The demon king sighed...Haly...

Much as I love you...And much as I'd love to have Ms. Summers and her demon essence with

me...

There are rules...Which have to be obeyed...

Without law, anarchy would prevail...The stronger demons would kill and eat the weaker...

All the time, instead of just occasionally...

"I can't exceed the bounds of my authority...Ms. Summers must act voluntarily..."

But...All I'm asking for is a little hate spell...I'd even settle for strong feelings of

caution towards William on her part...Is that exceeding your authority?...

Voluntarily, Haly...And you have the ability to lead her into making that choice...Just as

you did in 1880...

"They're together again...How am I gonna separate them now?...And Spike..." she paused, sighing...

Spike doesn't...Care...she bowed her head sadly...

Even he's in love with that Cicely/Buffy...

Haly...D'Hoffryn came over and lifted her chin...

Where's my kick=ass vengeance demon?...The one who got a Slayer to send her own husband to his

death?...

You handled it beautifully then...You'll handle it now...

And you know, win or lose...I'll always love my demons...

"As for Spike...Well...If he can't see what he's passing up when you drive William out...

It's his loss..."

"Hey..." Anya popped into the reception hall...

Halfreck clammed up and backed away, eyeing her "sister" demon...

You didn't tell me she was coming this morning...? Her look at the slightly sheepish D'Hoffryn

said...

"Say...D-H...Did you repaint the walls?...It's much brighter in here..." Anya noted...

Hello, Haly...she nodded...

The soul testing session had a dual purpose...

Giles had initially intended it for Buffy's little bundle...To help her reach a decision...

Just luck that it was available for testing William's claims as well...

To Buffy's relief, William felt nothing...

Spike however...

#$%&^!...Who turned the heat off!...It's bloody freezing in here!...the demon groaned...

"Demonstro..." Giles intoned...

Imaginary fires raged about poor Spike...Who screamed in horror...

"You ok?..." Buffy asked William anxiously, noting him grimace a sec...

Xander rolling his eyes at Willow as Buffy took William's hand, stroking it...

Just ole Spike...William smiled at her...Poor fellow's having a rough time in there...

All but the preoccupied Giles eyed him...

"He couldn't help what he was...And he is a part of me..." William explained...

Can't help feeling a little sympathy for the poor maniac sot...

"Tell him..." Buffy paused... "I know he loves me...And I am grateful to him...For not

being quite an Angelis...For taking you both to Africa..."

And for keeping you around...Until we could meet...

Willow eyed her...

"Spike knew William was there..." she explained... "He could have gone and found a way

to drive him out for good..."

Damn right there!...Spike hollered as the flames backed him up against an imaginary

corner...God, if I had had half a brain then...

The things I do for Buffy (Cicely Addams) Summers!...

Which are appreciated, brother...William called to him generously...

You heard her...

$#%^&!...Kiss m...

Spike!...William hollered to himself...

No...Spike called...

Kiss me...Tell her...If she's really...#$%#^!...the flames lept up around him...

If she's really grateful...Kiss me...Me...

"Spike..." William paused...Eyeing Buffy...Who stared back...

Spike wants a kiss...If you wouldn't mind...

For him...

He's taking quite a beating in here...

"Sure..." Buffy nodded...

Thank you, Spike...I know you tried...she kissed William gently...

"I hope you find happiness...Or whatever nonharmful-to-others contentment a demon

can win in Eternity..."

Quite a girl we married in 1880...eh, brother...William smiled within...

Yeah...Spike replied quietly...!#$#! Could you tell the Ripper to can the flames?...

He must have what he needs to know by now for Christ's sake!...

"Rupert?..." William eyed him...

"Tell Spike it's just about over..." the Watcher nodded...

And...Congratulations...William...

Buffy hugged him...Willow came over and shyly kissed him...Xander came over...

William hugged him...Winking at the others...

Spike is a part of me, remember ole pal...he grinned at Xander...And releasing him, shook

hands...

Same old Spike...Xander frowned...Oh, well...At least he'll still be able to fight with

her...

"...So keep an eye on me..." William concluded...Looking at Xander firmly...

Brother...

In-law, Willow thought...Grinning at Xander...

And Xander finally has his older brother...

Oh...God...If my Tara could just walk through that door now...This would be Heaven, no doubt about it...

Tell her...Spike mumbled...

What?...Never thought I'd have to ask you to speak up, brother...William called within...

Tell her...Trapped in this bloody hell of a place...Long as you manage not to get your sorry ass

kicked in...

With her around...

Is all the Heaven I want...

Even if I have to share her with you, poof-boy...

"Spike says...Thanks...And he's very content right now..." William smiled at her...

Hey!...Exact quotes, poof...

He kindly repeated the "exact passage"...Buffy nodding...

Spike...? she whispered in Will's ear...

If you ever make William call himself "poof-boy" again...

I will have Giles leave those flames on inside...Permanently...

Get me...?

Phone call...For Buffy, who handed it to William with a shrug...

Dawny...For you...I told her it was ok...Long as she doesn't take a ridiculously

long break...

He took the phone and the babbling of an eager Dawn could be heard as he

tried to respond to her stream of questions and comments

"Ummn...?" she turned to Giles, moving off from where the others were excitedly talking...

My baby...No flames and nasties for it, right?...I wouldn't want that even for a hideous

demon offspring...

Now off the phone, William showed equal apprehension watching Buffy slip off with Giles

...Natch, Willow thought...

Giles having told her that William knew...Courtesy of Spike...Having quizzed the

Ripper on the ceremony when Buffy was kindly rearranging his sleeping quarters in the basement with a few little items from the house...

Much gentler version for it, Giles had assured them each in turn...And set to work...

Buffy slipping into his office with him for a few moments' "discussion" while he performed the spell...

Ok...His look said to the others as they emerged...

Buffy's desperate attempt to cover her beaming joy preety much said it all anyway...

Quite a moment...Willow thought looking at William who did his best to conceal his joy...

Really shoulda brought a camera this morning...she noted to herself...

"Another round!..." Xander called to the waitress...Having insisted on taking his betrothed's

new employees and family out to dinner...

Hell, a day like this does not come by often...

Buffy's baby fully souled and human...Though Giles had steadfastly refused to determine the

sex...And Buffy remained determined to keep its existence a secret...

(Will for his part insisting Willow, Anya, and Giles go along, keeping mum...)

And William...Where he wanted to be...As he put it when Buffy in a slightly sad mood had asked

him if he regretted losing Heaven...

Like Spike tried to say...Heaven's where you make it...he'd noted...

And Eternity...Can wait...

The only thing missing...Oddly enough the thought of four present...Spike, William, Xander,

Giles...And well, to be honest, Buffy would have to admit to making it five...

Angel...

To share their joy...

And rub his Christ-like puss in it...

William flanked by beaming Buffy and Dawn on opposing sides...Giles between Willow and his

Buffy...

Anya happily between Xander and Willow...

One minor fly in the otherwise estatically happy ointment tonight...No go as yet with

D'Hoffryn...

But she had learned that dear Haly seemed to be in regular touch with the demon king...

And maybe info could be gleaned from that source...Both for her and for Buffy...

However...William had asked them to hold on giving Buffy the Cicely story for a bit just

yet...

He'd like to break it to her himself when he felt she was ready to accept it...

Besides a once-over by a competent neurologist as well as a complete medical could never hurt

after a full resurrection...

Pity they hadn't made her go before...he thought...

"You know...It's a shame about Warren..." Willow paused...

This being a evening to forgive and forget...

They all stared at her...

What?...She blinked at them...

"Warren?..." Xander asked... "What about Warren?..." he hesitated, eyeing Giles...

"Just mean...He has such a brilliant mind and all..." Willow looked at him and slowly

at the others who tried to look...Causal...Warren you say? Oh yeah, him...

Dawn stared at her...Eyeing her sis...Cautiously...

Whoa...Look at them...Red must really have "dealt" with ole Mearsy...Spike noted within...

Damn...No more girly bots...

What?...William asked...himself...

Dawn looked at him for comfort...He eyed her sympathetically...

Willow's strong, Nibs...Don't worry...his look said...

I mean for when Buffy croaks Spike went on within...You know she'd never let me transform her now...

And we'll be alone...Eternally...

I don't want a mannequin companion for all Eternity, Spike...William noted to him...As he nodded

at Dawn...

Besides when the time com...he began, returning to his "brother" within...

Red or the Ripper could've stuffed Summers' soul into the bot...Spike groused on...Even the little

Scoobies'ld have approved...Their Slayer around to protect their grandkiddies forever...

Nonsense, when the time comes she'll stake us before she goes...Or I will...William replied...

You'd do that...To me...All I've done for you and...

Do it right now if I didn't think Buffy would mind...By the way, "all you've done for me?"...You

demented maniac!...

I gave you everything, you poof...The fighting skills...That certain style, that cool stare...That

"I'm gonna rip your throat open and I'm not just saying that" air...Hell, even the blonde was my idea...

Thanks to you, I'm responsible for 40,000 plus deaths!...Not to mention the torturing sessions...

God, the torturing...Lord, how I miss the good old days...Haven't had a moment like that since I had

sweet Dru in chains...Unless I count watching myself in the mirror at Glory's and pretending it was

you, poof-boy...And that I was helping her...

Willow shook her head at them a little...Geesch...Don't mean to praise the guy she explained...

Just...He was quite a science whiz, not bad at the magics either...It just seems a shame for all

that genius to be thrown away on...

"Hey, fellow geek here...Can't help expressing a little Robert Downey Jr. sympathy for

wasted talent, you know..." she sighed...

Yeah...A real shame...Buffy and Dawn chorused qently...Xander frowning a little...

"Are we still going after him?...About the murder thing?..." Willow asked...

She'd been a little out of the loop recently what with her gradual recovery after Tara...And all...

Well...Buffy eyed Xander...

"I think there's not much we can do while he's in Mexico with his pals, Wil..." Xander replied...Looking to

Giles who nodded...

But we've sent info to the police to have them look into his role in Katrina's death...And if he ever shows...

They'll deal...

Hmmn...Willow nodded...Well, still...A shame...

"And you did like Jonathan..." she looked at Buffy...

Well...He kept the others from helping...Big Baddy...Buffy noted hastily...

So he wasn't all bad...Maybe someday...He'll grow up and do the rest of the right thing...

"Sis never gives up on anyone with the slightest chance..." Dawn grinned...Eyeing William who grinned wryly

back...

"Yeah..." Willow smiled at William...

"But as to this "Big Baddy"?...The one who...Ummn...You know...Tara and all..."

He's dead...Gone, Wil...Lets forget him...Buffy hastily put in...

"Lets not let another forgettable creepy ruin a good...A great...evening..."

Willow nodded...Long as he's really gone...

William eyed her...

Not the best way to handle this, Buffy...His look said...

Please William...her look said...

Save the forthright Victorian attitude for another day...

My God, thought Anya...Watching the interplay...

They're already exchanging significant looks that express more than words can say...

They really must have been a couple...Married...Back then...

"So...?" Dawn eyed William... "Spike having a good time in there?..."

Romance Palace...Part XIV...

She'll let you come just far enough

So you know she's really there

Part XIV...

"It'll be fine..." Willow noted...

Absolutely fine...

Dawn eyed her...

"Dawny, they've gone on Patrol lots of times together..."

It'll be...Fine...

"Did you see how she acted?...Willow...?" Dawn groused...

"Ummn...?" she mimicked her sis... "William?..."

"I'm going on Patrol in a few minutes..."

"And I was...Wondering..." Dawn sarcastically batted her eyes...

"If...Maybe..."

She was laying it on a leetle thick, Willow had to agree...

"This is no ordinary Patrol..." Dawn noted, frowning...

This is...Date Night...

First (real) Date Night...

"Well...Is that so bad?..." Willow looked at her...

"You want Buffy with another vampire?..." Dawn stared at her...

"I thought you liked William...?" Willow eyed her...And he is certified human-souled...

"I like him...But..."

What if he gets the Angels...? Decides to go do the redemption thing...?

And he's an immortal blood-feeding creature, limited to night-hours...How's he gonna support her and the...gulp...Baby?...

Geesch...Dawny...This is the 21st century, you know...Willow thought...

Blood banks, transfusions readily available...Heck artificial blood well on its way...

And as for "supporting" her...Just being home all day to mind the kiddies for her would be a major plus in his favor...And if his Victorian nature even makes him try to help out financially, she's got a better man than many...

"They'll get by...If things work out that way..."

And, given that they're already married...And may have been seeking each other for a century...she thought...

"Well...He was very concerned about her visions or whatever..." Dawn conceded...

Aw...I do like him Willow...I'm just...

Scared...For her...

"Buffy Summers can deal, Dawn..." Willow grinned at her...

With anything...

Even with her Victorian lover...

"Geesch...She doesn't even know his name..." Dawn noted...

Oh...Willow thought...

I wouldn't be too sure of that...

She's shared it for 100 plus years...

Lord...When I think how I tried to push her with Angel...

Thank God Cicely was in there, fighting for William all the time...

But, hell, why did she send him away...? Unless that Halfreck was lying...Which Anya told Giles was entirely possible...

Gotta get over to Xander's and see what they've found out...

"I'm so glad you took the job, William..." Buffy noted shyly...While ramming a stake through the entrails of a large horned demon...

I mean...It's only the start of bigger and better things, I'm sure...What with your writing and education and all...

She glared fiercely at two other demons who'd been making ready to charge at William...

They eyed each other...Geesch...The stories are true...

The Slayer and William the Bloody...And she's not just tolerating him, she's actually...Protecting him...

By the demon god Ba'al...Who would've believed it?...

Hey...The shorter one nudged his partner...

I think...She's pregnant...

Holy sacred Ba'al!...Joe, you're right!...the other agreed in shock...

William took up a fighting stance, eyeing her...

How's about letting me have a couple? His look said...

She'd already killed the first half dozen they'd encountered, without giving him one...

Hell, he used to box for Cambridge...He'd noted earlier, after she'd stepped in front to take the fourth in a row...And he still retained Spike's abilities...Plus his bro's occasionally helpful advice...

Though Spike was in a snit and refusing to speak just now, following the last major smackdown...

You went to Cambridge University?...she'd replied, impressed...

But heck, Spike always did have that air of sophistication underlying the bad boy mannerisms...

"Didn't graduate...Had a year to go..." he'd noted ruefully...

Well...still...she'd replied, supportively...

Now however, she decided to back off a bit...She was getting a bit pooped...No need to take foolish risks with little Joycee or Will Jr...

And Will was so eager to show he still had it...

The two demons awaited their fate...Not so much out of courage or blood-lust...

Kinda more...Hoping to get in a chance to ask ole Spike...

Did you actually get the Slayer...?

Definitely a cause worth dying for...The stool rights alone in any demon bar for the eyewitness story-teller with the spell-confirmable truth would be Eternal...

Meanwhile, at the Magic Box, a battle of wits and wills was engaged...

Anya and Xander versus Halfreck...Who'd decided it was again time to try the partial truth-dropping route...

"So...Cicely summoned you...And you took her place...?" Anya noted...Following Haly's outline of a certain fateful night in 1880 London...

"She was squeamish about facing the poor little fellow..." Halfreck smiled...

But...She was married to him...? Anya quickly countered...

Women make mistakes sometimes when they caught up in the moment...Haly grinned, eyeing Xander...

Big, thoughtless mistakes...

She married in haste...And regretted at leisure...

And it ended up a rather short marriage...Two days, as a matter of fact...

"Actually..." Haly grinned again at Xander...

"Dreamboat here at least had the courtesy to run out before the wedding vows..."

But...Why did Will stay around?...If she'd consented to driving him off?...Anya stared...

"Ah...Poor William...He's always been a fool for love...Besides, don't you people read fairy tales any more?..."

Snow Queen, that sort of thing?...He was trapped by his love for her...Couldn't really believe she'd betrayed him...And spent the past century waiting for her to free him...

"But..." Haly sighed... "She never did...He had to suffer a century before being "helped" accidently...By strangers..."

Only human Drusilla ever provided him any comfort in all that time...

"Human?...Drusilla?..." Xander asked...

Her soul, trapped in the far reaches of limbo...

It came partially back thanks to him...Haly explained...In shame for what had happened to him...And then, because of the kindness and forgiveness he showed her...

A kindness that went a long way towards healing what Angelis had done to her, poor thing...

She was actually able to escape to Rebirth thanks to him...Not as good as fleeing to Heaven, maybe...But, given, demonic Dru's powers and her desire to keep sis confined, not too shabby...

"Drusilla...er human Drusilla...Was reborn?..." Anya looked at her...

Years ago, Haly noted...

Which left poor William all alone again...Watching Spike, trying to drive him to

attack Slayers...

Hoping to either find his Cicely reborn or be released at last...

"But...She never came for him..."

"But..." Anya hesitated...Buffy...

Haly shook her head sadly...

Well...She was reborn at last...But...

Even after the Initiative "helped" him a bit...

And even Spike couldn't help loving her...

She didn't lift a finger to help him...

Even after he was the one there for her all last year...

"I guess..." the "justice" demon sighed...Eyeing the two...

"She just didn't care all that much..."

Not that I would ever judge a client...Haly solemnly noted...

But Slayers do tend to be heartless...Part of their profession, I guess...

William handled Joe and partner in style...Kicking both sharply back...

Aided perhaps by their mutual reluctance to kill him before learning the answer...

Was he, ole Spike...A papa?...A Slayer's...Slayer of the heart?

Unfortunately Spike needed some time to recover even his internal speech abilities after his self-imposed exile...

Much as he deeply desired to tell a few demon mates the glorious news...

William the Bloody had indeed bagged his third...And in a way none had ever before...

Poor Joe was down and at the mercy of William's borrowed stake...His partner down as well, gasping for breath...

Buffy ran up...

C'mon Will...she called...Time's awasting...Demons to kill...Vamps to stake...

Ummn...William looked at poor Joe...Holding the stake to his throat...

Here we go again...Spike groused...

Buffy eyed him...Will?...She rolled her hands...

You gotta push it in...Remember...?

She went over to Joe's buddy, still gasping on the ground...Bit out of shape that one, Spike noted within...

Will?...she called...

Poof-boy hates killing...Except in self-defense...Spike growled within...

She dealt with the other demon and came over...

William eyed her...And pulled the stake back...

"Get out of here...If I find you harming anyone, I will kill you..." he told poor Joe...Now rather broken up over the departure of his buddy...

Buffy stared at him...And the fleeing Joe...

What the hell...?

"He wasn't harming anyone...We attacked him..." William noted...

"He would have harmed someone...He will now..." Buffy replied...Staring after Joe...

Great...Just great...Spike fumed within...

We just dropped 100 points with her...After coming within a hair's-breadth of her pants...

And I didn't even get a chance to tell the other guy that the Slayer's been made a woman at last...By the "Doctor" himself...

Naturally the twit exs don't count...After all, they couldn't cut it...

"What the hell were you trying to do, Will?..." Buffy glared at him...

Slayer preempting First Date Buffy...

Get us killed?...

"We weren't in any danger...That one was harmless..."

To us...She noted...

Not to your average Sunnydaler...

"All right, if you want, I'll go hunt him down...Like an animal..."

He is an animal...Buffy replied...

Hey!...Spike hollered within...A little compassion there...

"I meant...Me..." William glared back...

Buffy stared, speechless...

Wow...A romantic poet's compassion...she thought...Eyeing him sideways...

My romantic poet...

Of course, thank goodness he actually could've killed both of them if he'd wanted to...

He sighed at her as they walked along...In silence...

First date not quite rolling along as well as she'd hoped...

"You're disappointed in me?..." he hesitated...

No...She looked at him...

I mean...I can understand you're not wanting to kill the way Spike did...

"Guess I wasn't thinking back there..." she ruefully noted...

I'd forgotten what you've been through...

"I just...I can't see the point of blindly killing these creatures...Dragging ourselves to their level..."

So they won't blindly kill us or our loved ones...she noted hastily...

Well...

She eyed him sideways...Hmmn...

"Will?...Do you think I kill...Like Spike did?..." she eyed him...

No thought, no compassion...

"I realize you have a job to do Buffy..." he paused...

People who need protection...

"But it's hard for me to accept...Following in Spike's footsteps...Even against demons..."

Pfft!...You! You poof, in my footsteps?...You couldn't fill half my shoe with your whole poof bod...Spike sneered within...

"And what about our...first time for everything, she noted, gulping...Baby?...Would you let..."

Don't be ridiculous...he glared at her...

I'd never let you or the baby be harmed...

Why do you think I'm out here?...

"God knows...After the way you let that last one go..." she groused...

I'm not insensitive you know...I do what I have to do to protect innocent people...

"We don't even know if those demons were human-hunters..." William pointed out...

"Do you want me to stop and ask every rampaging demon or vamp if they kill humans?...And show proof?..." Buffy grumbled...

"I'd last what?...Thirty seconds...?"

Well...We could try to check...That's all I'm saying...William noted...

You could carry a backpack full of the Ripper's reference books, poof-boy...Spike grinned within...

"Just a mo, Buf, dear...Gotta read the chapter on Vorth demons...Hang on there...Don't ruffle the poor lad's fur until I review the case throughly..." he sneered...

Our girl wants a man...Or demon...Of action...Not Percy #$%$ing! Shelley...Spike groused on...

"I happen to think it is important...Even if we lose one or two while we check..." Will frowned...

Caring and compassion matter, Buffy...You know that...

And they apply to our victims as well...

"I don't need lectures on compassion from someone who killed..." she began...

People...he finished...

"I...I didn't mean that, Will...I just..." she finished lamely...

"I guess...We don't really know that much about each other..." he looked at her...

They walked on in silence...

Not the way she'd hoped First Date would work out...

They were returning to the house...

William lost in thought...

Geesch...Buffy thought...

Did not think things would go like this...

Maybe he's right...A little...

I was concerned about losing my compassion...Before I died and other problems

took precedence, she thought...

She tried to smooth things a bit...

"See, Will...You hafta understand..." she began...

What's my name?...he brought her up short...

Huh?...Well...Ummn...William...she looked brightly at him...

Ummn...she continued her bright look...

"You don't know, do you?..." he eyed her...

And do you know why?...You never even bothered to ask...

Never cared enough...Even when we slept together and you and I...meaning me, William...

Almost connected that time...When I almost got through to you...

Hey!...Spike bellowed...Mate, that was my night...

"And you felt me there...Don't deny it..."

Ummn...Well...He did seem very human that time...

That was a nice time...she thought, a little happily...Almost as nice as...

When?...Where?...

"You all right?..." he looked at me...

Hmmn...she tried to look a little extra wan...Wobbily...In need of a Victorian gent's consideration...

And forbearance...

He frowned...Well...? You felt my presence...And still you did nothing...Not a blessed thing...

"You would have left me there...Forever..."

"Well...I..." she stammered...

He stalked off...

"Will...?...Wait!...Will!...Please..." she cried...

"I'm sorry...C'mon!...I was dead, remember...Busy year..." she called...Following after him...

We were enemies...What did you expect...?

He was picking up pace...

Gee, he's still got that those vampiral legs...Buffy noted...Hurrying after...

"Wait...William...You wait!..."

Hmmn...Fake a cramp?...she wondered briefly...Nah...Spike'd probably know right away...

She tripped on a broken branch...He was slipping away...

Again...she staggered up...

Ummn...Oh...My God!...

"Walthrop!..." she screamed...

"Your last name is Walthrop!...William Soames Walthrop!..." she gasped...

How the hell...? she stood with jaw somewhat dropped...

He froze...And turned round...Staring at her...

"What the hell...? Did Willow net search my college records or something?..." he stared at her...

Romance Palace...Part XV...

Part XV...

Willow sat in Xander and Anya's living room...Thoughtfully reviewing Haly's account of her "job" for

Cicely Addams in 1880...

"She can't be giving you the whole truth..." she paused...

Buffy...er Cicely...Couldn't have just turned on William like that...

"He could have done something..." Xander noted...

Halfreck might not be aware of the cause...Maybe he did...Something...

Something terrible...

Like maybe...Another rape...?

Deserving immediate punishment...Then...And now...

Xander?...Anya looked at him...

Haly told us he didn't "do" anything...Cicely decided the marriage was a mistake and let

her drive Will off...

"Buffy would never..." Willow paused...Ummn...

But...Anya nodded...We don't know Cicely...

A wealthy Victorian girl...Courted by a poor poet?...Not often a successful outcome, outside

the romantic novels...she noted...

She married him...Willow pointed out...

Buffy...Well, lets be honest...Loved him...Even when Spike held the upper hand...

Loves him now...she eyed the frowning Xander...C'mon, Xander, you saw her at dinner tonight...

She must have loved him...It doesn't make sense...

"Maybe..." Anya paused... "Maybe she was trying to protect him...If she was the Slayer then..."

After all, if I were a demon being pursued by the Slayer...I'd go after her family...

I mean...she eyed them...Hypothetically...

"There must be records of her...As a Slayer..." Xander suggested...The Council must have something...

We could have Giles try and get them from the Council...

The answer could be there...

Willow nodded...But...

"We should tell Buffy...She needs to face...Cicely..."

"William asked us to wait..." Anya pointed out...He said he'd tell her...At the right time...

Well...Maybe...Willow nodded...Still...

It's wrong to keep this from her too long...She needs to deal with it, especially considering the

visions or memory flashes she's been having...

Anya eyed Xander...Hmmn...

Someone else who needs to deal with the truth in our little group...

"Well...(God, never in my life did I think I'd be saying this)...We can leave it to

Will for now...I'm sure he'll do the right thing..." Xander noted...

The others stared at him...Xander?...

He shrugged...Ok, Will's a good guy...I accept it...

'Course I intend to follow his advice...And keep watching him...

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have let you run like that..." William eyed an out-of-breath Buffy...

No...Problem...

"Mr. Walthrop..." she grinned...

Holy!...she put her hands to her mouth...In shock...

I told him...

Without even thinking it over...

After begging Giles and the guys not to say a word today...

Before a thing is settled between us...

"Ummn...William...What I said a moment ago...About..."

"Protecting our baby?..." he grinned...

I took it as absolutely hypothetical...Naturally...

"Very funny..." she looked down...

Thank God I still can, she thought...In a month...

"How long have you known?..." she asked...

Spike guessed this morning...he smiled...

Bless his little demented heart...

She looked away...And back...

"Are you...Glad?..."

"Buffy Anne..." he paused...

I am so far beyond...Glad...

When Spike made me realize it...And I knew it was true...

And Giles told me it was ok...

"Giles...?" she frowned...Damn, he promised not to say a word...

I told him I knew, William explained...

God...He might have let me know, she groused...

"It makes up for everything, Buffy..." he said simply...

Everything...The whole past miserable #$%ing century...

She looked at him...

"So...You're glad..." she grinned...Looking away...

"I am too..." she smiled into his eyes...

"William Soames..."

Opening Theme "Spellbound Concerto" by Miklos Rosza Play

Romance Palace...

PG-13...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly

in the saddle and romance on the menu...

Clip:

"Ummn...You still are a vampire, right?..." Buffy eyed him...

I mean...Not that that would be a good thing...Just protectionwise and all...It might not be so

bad...

"Yeah...And still getting sex advice from ole Dr. Spike..." William frowned at her...

"Great...I mean...That you can help me and protect yourself...Helpin' me in the fight against

evil...That sort of thing..." she looked at him innocently...

Is this gonna be a great year or what, she thought happily...

Cicely always was a forward girl...he thought...

Suggested Theme...Secret Garden

Part I...

She'll let you in her house

If you come knockin' late at night ...

"Ow...!" yelped the short slender blonde man in black trousers and short black jacket as he

struggled with the secured boards blocking the entrance of his former favorite Sunnydale

crypt...

Flashlight beams darted in his direction...

"You!..." A guard called, giving a blast on his whistle...A couple more quickly appearing

in the distance...Little after hours for the cemetery...

Oh great...Oh bloody hell damn great...

Damn, damn, damn...Now they get security conscious...Years of wandering in and out of

here, free as a bird...And now...

But then why should I have expected any less after this summer...he thought...

"Hold it!...Stay where you are, there!...This is private property, friend...No trespassing..."

the nearest guard shouted...

"Yes, yes..." William put his hands up as the guards ran to him...

"Don't give us any trouble, young fellow..." an older guard addressed him firmly...

Spike gave a wan, faint bellow from within...In my day...My glorious day...Even with the

chip we could've gotten out of this...

I'm over from England...Just looking for the old family crypt, mate...William explained

lamely to the guard looking most in charge...

Summers is going to kick us around like a wet...Spike groused deep within...

"Searching for my roots and all that..." William continued...

The truth at that...he thought, looking at the guards' faces...

To knock or not to knock...He'd passed the Summers' house for the fifth time...

Well...He couldn't just wander around till daylight...

And it was highly unlikely that any former underworld associates would consider taking him

in...Unless it were to first mock then kill him for sport at the first opportunity...

Not that he hadn't handled things well in the inevitable skirmishes during the return from

Africa and the trip across country...With an eager, if deeply buried Spike ready and willing

to offer any needed advice and instruction...

Still...They'd sense his new nature...And both he and Spike were just too exhausted to spend

the rest of the night and next day fighting off challengers...

Perhaps...If Buffy left on Patrol...Or he could confirm that she had...He could try the Nibs...

Sweet and kind-hearted thing that she was...

Always hoping and providing that she hadn't heard about...the little Incident...

Oh...Bollocks!...Spike cried from within...

Hell the worst of it was...even we didn't intend it to go so far...the demon groused faintly...

And why is that...? William asked, in effect, himself...

Yeah, yeah, yeah...the demon's voice faded...

Love's a funny thing, bro...William teased himself...

Spike was silent...At last...

What...you leaving?...No guts to face our girls...? William chuckled inwardly...

Sod off, poof...the demon faded out...

He waited about half an hour longer...no Buffy emerging...And it was past her Patrol time...

Well...No time like the present...

He braced himself, tried to assume a Spikean demeanor, and cautiously knocked...

"Holy...!..." Dawn stared at him...

"Nibs..." he nodded pleasantly...

Might I?...

"What the hell happened to you?..." she eyed the scars on his forehead, face, and hands...

Where's your...Slayer...coat?...she asked, staring...

Spike surged up for one more jab...

I told you...I told you, see...he groused to himself...Everyone loves the coat...It's part of the

aura...The Spike...Even the Nibs here loves it...

It was time it was returned, brother...William noted to himself firmly...

"Dawn...? It's nice to see you..."

Yeah?...she eyed him...

Buffy home?...

Patrol...she said curtly...

"Manners, my girl...Old friend on front step...Young lady invites said old friend in for tea and

cookies..." he smiled at her...

"I don't invite guys who try to rape my sister into our house..." Dawn replied...Folding her

arms across her chest...

"Who's there?..." Clem called from the living room...

Spike?...Hey...Spike!...he cried joyfully...

"We missed you, big guy!..."

Clem...he smiled pleasantly...Nodding at the dog-eared demon...

"New baby-sitter?..." he grinned at Dawn...Who gave a sour look...

"I do not need a "baby-sitter"...This..." she paused...

Is an assignment...

I'm rehabilitating him...Helping him learn to interact with humans...

Clem had been smiling happily but now looked puzzled and sniffed...

Oops...William thought...

Well...Secret has to get out sometime...

Unless it's just the lack of a good wash...

"Hey...?...You aren't Spike...Who?..." Clem looked a hair nervous...

Slayer had instructed him very carefully as to Dawn protection...

With a full outline of his fate should he be lax in his new duties...

Dawn stared...Not Spike?...

Clem sniffed again and sighed...Oh...

Another one of those redemption things...

"You're that soul of his...The one always hanging around...?"

What...? Dawn stared blankly...

William, right?...Clem extended a paw...

Say...Is that still Spike in there?...

What...? Dawn continued to stare...

"There is a story, Nibs..." William smiled at her...

Romance Palace...

PG-13...

Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant

Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Part II...

Souled?...Human-souled?...William...Dawn thought, still trying to recover...

Unbelievable...

Still after this last year...?

Of course...This could be a trick...A trap...

A "grab Dawn and blackmail Buffy into sex and/or death" trap...she thought,

eyeing William...Now sitting on the couch, looking quite at home and

comfortable, cuppa in lap...

Even kinda pooped...Poor guy...Musta been a long trip...And all those scars...

Geesch...Should get him some ointment and bandages...

She looked at Clem who was watching William in some wonder...In between

slurping his cocoa...

He had vouched for Will's soul...But he could be lying...

It could be a plot...Clem might even be the mastermind...she eyed him...

Like that Chancellor Palpatine in the Star Wars movies, pretending to be a nice

guy, then...

And even Yoda was fooled...

Well...she smiled at Clem who asked if she wanted something...

Nah...

But, even if the story was true...She was dead...Well, at least when Buffy

found out she'd let William in solely on his and Clem's say-so...

But how could she pass up the chance to hear the whole thing in

detail...Something Buf would never forego herself...And never allow her to stay

and hear, however much she might be willing now to let her see a little of the

family business...

Of course...A leetle disappointing as to the reason...

No noble soulquest...Although...If Clem was right about William's previous

"hanging around"...Maybe Spike had been seeking more than he knew...

You couldn't've told her we did it for love?...Or at least I

did...Moron...Spike groused to William from the depths...

Buf would've fallen for that like a ton of bricks...She'd be on us

tonight...You stupid...

We did do it for love...William replied silently...But it's up to Buffy to see

that for herself...

Along with everything else...

You're not even gonna tell her, are you?...About "everything else"...? Jesus,

did you ever even have sex? Spike groused inwardly...If you did, it sure

wasn't memorable...

You know we did...And you remember as well as I do...William smiled...The demon

backed down, growling...

"Spike?..." Dawn paused...Watching Will blanking for a second, a wan smile on

his exhausted face...

"Ummn...Sorry...William?"

He blinked at her...God, he looks awful...Pale...

"Hmmn...Nibs?...Sorry...Spike still likes to shoot his mouth off on

occasion...I'm still adjusting to the distraction..."

"He really is in there?...With you?..." Dawn stared in wonder...

Afraid so...Will nodded...But, hey...There's a counterpart demon for every

human on this planet...Mine just happens to be closer than most...

Hmmn...Dawn looked behind her, half-expecting to see her own demon grinning at

her...Well, maybe people artificially made from interdimensional energy keys

don't have demonic counterparts...

On the other hand...

"Anne..." Will eyed her...

Huh?...

"Spike says Buffy's...And therefore, your...Counterpart in hell is

named...Anne..."

Nice name...Dawn noted...

"A preety vicious lady according to him...He's quite taken with her..."

Oh...

But how...

"Demons keep in touch with the home base..." William smiled...

"Then...Buffy...He never really..."

Hey!...Spike grumbled within...

"No, no...He did, very much...As much as he was able to, Niblett..." William

smiled...

Does!...Spike growled...I'm still here, mate...Lets not stick me in the ground

just yet...

Within a demon's capacity...William continued...

Hmmn...Well...

"Tell him..." Dawn paused... "If all this is really true..."

William nodded...A lot to accept, I know...his look saying...

"Thanks...For trying I mean...And for being there when Buffy needed him..."

Not that I'm letting him off the rape thing...she noted firmly...

Well...William eyed her...We sort of worked together over the last year,

courtesy of the chip...

Hey!...Another internal grouse...

But he did try...As much as he was able...he added hastily...

"Will?..." Dawn eyed him...

You really were around?...All this time...I mean since...

1880?...Yeah...he nodded...But not much I could do under the circumstances

except watch and try to encourage my little maniac "brother" to seek out

powerful enemies...

Until the Initiative "helped" me out a bit...he smiled wanly...

Wow...Clem and Dawn looked at him...Equally sympathetically...

"Of course..." he noted... "I'll have a lot to do...Trying to rebuild some kind

of life..."

And there's a lot to think about...he sighed...

"Nearly 40,000 things to think about..." he paused...

Hey!...Spike groused...At least 40,000, mate...

And I would've guessed twice that...

40,000?...Dawn wondered...

Oh...

He eyed her sadly...

"It wasn't you, Will..." she noted sympathetically...Patting his shoulder...

God, he's not gonna pull an Angel on us now, is he?...she thought...

"Bye guys...Gotta fight evil in London for 122 years to ease my conscience"

that sort of thing...?

Oh!...Gee...

"This soul thing?...Ummn...It wasn't like...Another curse type of thing?" she

asked hastily...

Exactly, a freaking curse!...Spike bellowed from below...

"No, Nibs..." William smiled...Happiness is not denied me...

Phew...Dawn thought...Not that she wanted to encourage anything...

And we coulda been very happy several times on this trip...Spike groused...

Sod off, Spike...William thought...We have a commitment...

Bollocks!...The little %^&! of a Slayer doesn't care what we do...And how many

times has she jumped into the sack with the first...

"I...Heard about Ms. Maclauy...Tara..." Will began... "And Willow..."

Talk of the underworld, that...

"I'm sorry...And sorry I...we...Weren't here to help..."

Always knew Red had it in her...Spike grinned within...What a vamp she'd have

made...Really, if I had just realized her potential a little sooner...

"It was rough...Willow was...Well...Like an Angelis...Only loads

faster-moving..." Dawn noted...

See...Spike continued his rant...I know potential when I...

William pushed him down...Enough...

"Thank God, Giles has been here and back a few times this summer..." Dawn

added...

Helping with her recovery and the permanent magics block...

Crap!... "Permanent magics block"?...Spike growling below...

Had some ideas, brother...? William pleasantly noted to himself...

An appeal to Red's darker nature, perhaps...?

#$%^&!...the demon backed off, fading...

"Spike missed Willow too..." he explained to Dawn...

In his own way...

A dark-haired, fortyish woman walked the Sunnydale downtown streets...Lost in

thought...

To the extent of occasionally losing control and slipping into her true

face...To the horror of several passersby...

Though not all...This being Sunnydale...

Trouble...Halfreck sighed...

Big trouble...

A century old assignment ready to go down the tubes...

Unless something can be done, quickly...

Who'd would of thought...But then she'd been called here primarily to deal with

a situation that had been brewing for months...Years, really if you took the

long view...And that even before this latest disaster...

Almost makes one think the Powers That Be are against one...

Well...She had her duty...A contract to be fulfilled, a wish maintained...

Though really...Ms. Summers could do her the courtesy of finally making up her

mind...

Fickle, fickle woman...Worse even than Anyanka who seemed actually poised to

again give up D'Hoffryn's patronage...And her immortality...

For...

Well, the fellow was cute...And his power of love had just saved the world...

Lacking a little of William's romance perhaps...And Spike's edge...But, in all

fairness, she had to admit she could see some of Anyanka's reasons...

But as to the matter at hand...

Hmmn...Another performance as Ms. Summers?...she wondered...

Tell the little would-be rapist he's an animal and to never darken her door

again...?

Ummn...No...William would just agree that Spike was an animal and come back

when she'd had a chance to think things over...

It really wasn't fair...All the work she'd put in...And now...Both Spike and

William likely to be lost to her...Forever...

More important, to screw up this assignment...Again...Would not sit well with

the boss...

He'd had his heart set on acquiring a Slayer-vengeance demon...His first...And

had been, admittedly...Unusually patient...

But Ms. Summers was not likely to surrender to demon Anne nor Anne to take

D'Hoffryn's offer of employment unless guilt and shame lead Buffy to death and

drove her human soul off...

Hmmn...Well, there was a lot of potential for guilt and shame here...If Buffy

learned everything...

Leaving the field here to Halfreck...To comfort poor lost William and his

"brother"...

But if even driving William to his death had not been quite enough...

Trouble...she sighed...

Well...No one ever said a justice/vengeance demon's job was an easy one...

And the reward at stake...Eminently worth it...

Dawn was eager to hear more details of William/Spike's leetle safari...But it

was getting on...And she couldn't be sure how Buffy would take things...

Well, actually she could...At least in her own case...

All the more reason to urge her guest along...

Maybe...After he told her more about the demon god...And his side trip...To

England, after his "restoration"...

Of course...If all this is true...she thought...No particular need to let Buf

know his first thought wasn't to come rushing home into her arms...

I mean...Only natural...Human...she noted proudly...That he'd want to go home

and try to learn what had happened to his long-deceased loved ones...And if he

had any surviving family...

Just...Buffy might be a leetle disappointed...

Odd actually...

That he came here first and didn't go seeking her to trumpet the glorious

news...

But he did come in the end...

Home...

God, he looks pale...Gee...Is he?...Not feeding?...

"Of course, Nibs..." William eyed her... "You lot will have to check me over

and all...Anya or Giles or Willow could..."

Not Willow...Dawn replied hastily...

Ah, right...he nodded...

But...he continued...I was wondering if ...Considering the situation at the

cemeteries in the vicinity...

A place to crash?...Dawn hesitated...

"Gee...I'd like to help you out, Will..."

But if Buffy ever...

Right...Spike sneered below...Save you all last summer, ungrateful little...And

this is the thanks I get...

"Actually...I was thinking more of the Magic Box..." William explained...

Just for a day or two...In the basement...Until I get my bearings and all...

"If you lot have an extra key to the place...And if we could square things with

Anya..."

"And Giles...He's here for a couple of weeks now..." Dawn noted...

Ripper's here now, eh?...Hmmn...Spike pondered within...Now there's a man who

might understand my situation...Trapped raging...Being...in torment...

Rupert Giles?...Rupert is never going to let you out, brother...William smiled

inwardly...We'll be lucky if he doesn't kill us as a preventive measure for

Buffy's sake...And for...

Unnnh...

And given your attitude, it might not be a bad thing at that...

"Well..." Dawn eyed William... "I guess we could call Anya...See if she'd be ok

with it..."

She paused...

"Will?...Have you been...Feeding?..."

You look awful...

Mr. Suicidal Martyr prefers not to dine on human blood...Spike groused

within...What was it last time, bro?...A cat?...

"I've been trying to take that aspect of things a little slow, Nibs...But I'm

just tired, really..."

"I could get some blood for you..." Clem noted... "Couple of pals of mine keep

a stock...They'll sell it for a little cash..."

Great...Dawn replied...I got some upstairs...Wait a sec...

She ran upstairs...

"Nibs..." William called to her...Sighing...

Really...You've got to learn to be a little more careful when the Undead come

to call...Not all of them are as nice as Clem here or souled like me...

Clem turning as red as possible for him...

Little moron'll get her face eaten one of these days...Spike groused...

We'll take care of her, don't worry brother...William replied silently...Say...

You've got a bit of a good heart there, Spike...he teased...Bad luck winding up

with a fellow like me as your human counterpart, eh...

Sod off...Spike fumed...If the Nibs croaks Buffy will be in mourning for

months...And we don't get any...

Romance Palace...Part III...

She'll let you in her car

To go drivin' round

Part III...

A large and greasily hairy fellow confronted Buffy in the same cemetery William had been

escorted from a little over an hour ago...

The cemetery she had developed a habit of rechecking two or three...Well, ok...Four times

a night since Spike had left...

Not that she was mooning over her departed (figuratively now as well as literally) ex-lover,

she told herself...

Just...With all the extra guards cluelessly wandering around now at night since she and Riley

had blasted Spike's old place...The Slayer had to take extra care there...Duty and all that...

She eyed him...God, the one thing she couldn't forgive in her victims...Poor grooming habits...

And inexcusable...

Spike, the Anointed One, Dru, Darla, Mr. Trick, even the Master had all prided themselves

on style...Personal cleanliness...Never an issue...

"You fear me, Slayer..." he grinned...

You fear the great Philipicus...

It was true...All that grease...She hated the thought of touching him...

"Now...Slayer...Your fear will be your undo..." he dusted in mid-speech...

Xander...

"Thought I'd drop by..." he explained, picking up the fence picket he'd skewered the greasy

Philipicus with ...Just see how things were going...

"He's not here, Xander..." she frowned at him...

"Well..." Xander fumbled awkwardly...

Why do I keep having this ridiculous urge to tell her... "He'll be back, don't worry..."?

Hell, if I ever see him back...

"Anything else...?" she eyed him...

Ummn...Well...

Just came by to see that things were...ok...With Patrol and all...

She stared at him...Knowing exactly what and why...

Hmmn...she frowned at him...

See...He knew that sometimes...Things could go wrong...Xander explained feebly...

He...Just wanted to be there...In case...

Right...she glared a little...

Still thinks I can't handle it, eh...After all summer...Of handling it...Quite well...

Still...He did just save the world...With love...

Gotta cut a sweet guy like my Big Bro a break...

And things did go wrong...Often...With it...

Although...It was...In a sense...A very bizarre sense...Her responsibility...

And to be honest...Her secret joy to care for...

He stared at her...Hopefully...

Well...Maybe just this once...

"O...K..." she nodded, grinning a bit...

And tossed him the keys...

"To the Spikemobile..." he beamed...

Well...After all, it wasn't as if Clem could drive...And he had figured...When Buffy had

asked...

Who better than the Slayer to use it...Surely Spike would have no objection...

My god...Xander gasped...Looking at the battered old girl...

Buffy nervously rolled her eyes...Geesch...

Two tiny little dings...On a scruffy old car like this...

"Buffy...This is a classic..." he struggled to keep an accusatory tone out of his voice...And

lost...

"What were you thinking?...What's Spike gonna say?"

"Geesch...Xander...It's just two little dents..."

He shook his head...

What's Spike gonna say?...God, what happened to the guy who was gonna stake Spike the

moment he showed his face in this town?...she thought...

Guys and their toys...

Besides...she thought, annoyed...

It was my bo...

Gulp...she backed away from that mental cliff...

Well...he sighed, surveying the hideous blemishes...Maybe they could be fixed...

Lets go...

They got in and belted up...

Curious that Spike hadn't ripped the belts out...You'd have thought they'd be the first things

to go, Xander noted...Beaming at the dash...

He couldn't help it...The Spikemobile at last...

He'd been trying to get a crack at her since the first day Buffy started "borrowing" it...

"Atomic batteries to power...Turbines to speed..." he happily cried...Eyeing Buffy for her

line...

Geesch...she thought...

Guys...

Still...He did just save the world with the force of his love...And she knew the line...

"Roger...Ready to move out..." Anya's voice brightly replied from behind them...

Geesch!...Xander jumped...

"Do you have to keep doing that?..." he groused at her...

Sorry...She looked crestfallen at him...

Guess I shouldn't 've...

He sighed and shook his head...No, no...It's ok...Just...

"Give a guy a little warning...If I'd been in traffic when you decided to make like Endora..."

Sorry...she replied, more brightly...

He'd been preety angry with her these past months...Nice to hear him softening a little...

Though it wasn't her fault...As she explained when the Willow fight was safely over and all

seemed pointed towards immediate reconciliation...

She couldn't just "resign" from the vengeance demon business...It wasn't allowed...

But what had really made him furious was her refusal to tell him how to get her out of it...

She couldn't she'd explained...Not allowed...Physically impossible for her...

Yeah...Right...Some goof-ball test of his renewed devotion...he'd immediately thought...

However Giles had confirmed that her class of demon was not allowed or capable of giving

out such info...

But thanks to help from Giles and a lot of fancy maneuvering with potential clients,

persuading them not to maim and flay former lovers...She'd successfully avoided any

murders or torture to date...

Sooner or later someone was bound to figure out how to free her...she'd brightly told him...

A thousand years...he'd noted...Last time it took a thousand years...

"You'll wait for me...Won't you?..." she'd asked pathetically...

Souls are immortal, she'd noted...

But of course, if he wanted to go ahead anyway and didn't mind her occasionally being forced

to zip off to attend an angry client...Whom she would do her damnest to dissuade from

anything remotely harmful...However it might annoy D'Hoffryn...

Well...Maybe it was best to wait on another wedding try...she'd noted sadly...

Of course...With all that...She saw no reason to...In fact some very good reasons not to...

Abandon her Xander to loneliness...

Especially if Buffy or Willow might be trying to ease that loneliness...And their own...

Romance Palace...Part IV...

You've gone a million miles

How far did you get?

That place where you can't remember

And you can't forget ...

William having reminded Dawn and Clem of Buffy's likely reaction to finding him in the

house, the Nibs had agreed to contact Anya regarding use of the shop basement before Clem

headed out to purchase a few blood bags...

Which led to Anya receiving a rather startling cell phone call...While riding with Xander and

Buffy in the Spikemobile...

However...Dawn had been strongly encouraged to confirm that Buffy was no where in the

vicinity before giving details...And being well aware of the possible consequences of her sis

learning of Will's visit...

"Anya?...If Buffy's there...Don't say anything...Hangup and redial as soon as you can..."

Dawn hissed into the phone...

Who is this?...Anya asked the phone...Buffy looking back at her...

"Dawn..." Dawn replied... "Do like I asked, please..."

"Who's on the phone?..." Buffy asked...

God, for a nineteenth century type, Spike sure knows his engine maintenance...Xander noted

to himself contentedly...Listen to that beauty purr...

Gotta find out who his mechanic is...

Hmmn?...Anya looked at Buffy...Ummn...

Nobody...Well, gotta go...Bye, honey...she called to Xander...

"An?..." he called...

"Too late..." Buffy eyed him...

An assignment...? You think?...she looked at him...

"They usually don't call on the phone..." he replied...Watching the road...

God I hope not...She can only persuade these ladies to see the bright side of being dumped

by, or settle for just embarrassing, their worthless ex-lovers so many times...he thought...

"Anya..?" Dawn called into the phone...William eyeing her...

Such a remarkable century this he noted to Clem...Never had the chance to sit back and really

appreciate it when I was trying to do anything I could to restrain ole Spike...

Yeah...Spike groused deep inside...How about you go explore the wonders of a plugged-in

toaster in the bathtub?...

You that anxious to see good ole Hell again, brother?...William teased him...I can

accommodate if that's what you really want...

"Hi..." Anya appeared before them...Dawny taking a sec to realize she was not still on the

phone...

What's the big...

"Holy!..." she clasped a hand to her mouth in astonishment...

"Spike?...You're back!..."

Anya?...You're a lumpy vein-bulging murderous fright again?...Spike sneered within...

Hmmn...A vengeance demon...With a fair degree of power...

And one who'd experienced the blessings the Spiked One had to offer...

Say, love...he concentrated from within...How's about lending your ole sackmate a hand?...he

thought, straining to reach his fellow demon...

Forget it, brother...William pushed him down...

"Holy?...Are there two of you in there?..." Anya clasped her other hand to her mouth...

Looking at William...

I'd take that as confirmation...Dawn noted to herself happily...Beaming at Clem...

"Buffy...?" Xander called...Glancing at her briefly when she had failed to answer him twice...

She was off again...Another one of those glassy dazed stares...

Geesch...And what with everything getting so much easier in the past few months, seemed

like she should've gotten over these things...

Instead they were, if anything, worse...Longer and more frequent...Though thank God, never

during Slaying or driving...At least that he knew of and she admitted to...

Gotta get her over to a good neurologist...And no matter what she says, tell Giles while he's

around...This is not right...

Unless she's trying mediation or yoga or some Slayer equivalent...

"Buffy..." he raised his voice a notch...

Hmmn...? she stared at him...

Buffy...? What a foolish name...Who..I...she thought confusedly...

"Xander...? What?..." she looked around...

Anya was here, wasn't she?...

Ok...Now she's getting me a leetle worried...

"Yeah...An was here and gone..." he nodded...Just a minute ago...

"Speak of the demon..." Anya called brightly from the back seat...

The car squealed to a stop!...Fortunately, the street was empty at this time of night...

"An!...What did I just ask you not to do?..." Xander yelled...

Sorry...Sorry...She desperately contained herself...Eyeing Buffy...

Oh...She tapped her fists together...

Oh...I can't keep this in...she thought...

"Gotta go..." she told them...Vanishing...

Xander rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead...Unnnh...

"It'll work out, Xander..." Buffy told him sympathetically...

Giles will figure it out...

"Yeah, yeah...Well it's what I deserve I guess..."

Well...she thought...It's hardly like you're the one who has to deal with the bulging veins and

the irate wronged females...Poor Anya does her best to be human for you when she drops in...

Poor An...A soul condemned to torment...Cursed, really...So unjust...

"It's wrong..." Buffy was getting a mite teary... "Unjust..."

Well...Xander nodded in agreement...

Kind of Buf to see things so sympathetically...

A little unusual actually...Is she ok?...

"It was so unjust...Evil...Cruel..." Buffy continued...

They had no right to do this...she went on...

Well...Ummn...They?...Oh, right the Fates, that sort of thing...

Well...He paused...I guess I have to admit...A lot of it is my...

"William is innocent..."she murmured...

Oh...

She blinked...Ummn...

"I mean...Anya and...Ummn..."

Well...she eyed him...Their souls would be innocent, right?...

Both their souls...she hastily added, leaving him no room...

Sure...Xander agreed...But Buf...

"William is gone...Probably safe in Heaven or wherever you were when..."

Ummn...Maybe a subject best avoided...

I don't know...she began...Sometimes...I think...

"He was so human sometimes..."

Ummn...

"And...Where was he?...If I was in Heaven...And he was there..."

Well...Maybe William didn't know who Buffy...he began...She eyed him coolly...

Ummn...

"Maybe you get a few thousand years of privacy before the first social calls..."

"William would have come!..." she shouted at him, trembling...

Buffy?...he blinked at her...

"...He wasn't there...Henry, he wasn't there!..."

Buffy?...

Huh?...she stared at him...

Oh...Ummn...

"What was I saying?...Yeah...Ummn...Anya's soul is innocent..."

"Who is "Henry"...?" Xander eyed her a second, as he made the turn into her street...

Who?...

"Henry...You just called me...Henry..." he turned into her driveway...

Ummn...

"I should give you a ride home..." she hastily began...

I can walk...Xander paused...

"Buffy...Something strange is going on with you..."

Died...Resurrected...Best friend tried to inflict serious death and damage on me...My boyf...

Oops...That mental cliff again...Back up...Quickly...

"I'll be fine, Xander...I just need..."

"You need to see a doctor, Buffy...And Giles should be told...Tomorrow..." Xander insisted...

These visions or flashes or symptoms of premature Alzheimer's are getting worse, not better...

"I'll speak to Giles...Tomorrow..."

We'll speak to Giles...Tomorrow...he insisted...

Anya popped back to the Summers...To find Dawn and William rather...

Clem out to fetch blood bags now that Dawn felt Will's story could be accepted...

"Anything wrong?..." she asked...

Where did you go?...Dawn looked at her...

Ummn...Well...

"Did you go and tell Buffy about me?..." William eyed her...

No...Anya insisted...

Just had to check on Xander...But that was all...

"Though it was really hard...This is such great news..." she gushed...Tapping her fists together

again excitedly...

She looked at them...

Isn't it?...she looked from one to the other...

Are they mad at each other?...she wondered...And asked...

"He doesn't want to see her..." Dawn groused...Glaring at William...

Not yet, Nibs...he replied...

"He's mad at her..." she looked at Anya who stared at William...

I didn't say that...William looked at Anya...

"I just said...I need some time...To readjust..."

"And...?" Dawn eyed him, annoyed...

He frowned...

"... "she wasn't in any great hurry to help me, was she?"..." Dawn quoted...

"Well..." he looked away...

Was she...?

"You were a killer vampire!..." Dawn groused...Waving her hands...

What was she supposed to do...? Stake you?...

He stared back at her...Coolly...

Oh...she blinked...Ummn...

"Will...She lov...Cares for you...She couldn't have stood that...Not this year..."

She didn't know you were there...

"She knew..." he replied...She sensed me...Even if not consciously...

Well, then...Dawn began, brightly...Naturally she wanted to try and...

"She never even tried to help me..." William stared at Dawn...

She knew I loved her...We were lovers...

Dawn stared...Not that she didn't know...And hadn't imagined...At great length...

Just to hear it so...

He swallowed a bit...He hadn't meant to let that slip out...Or to be bitter about things...

"Ummn...Well...I mean..." he paused...We had a relationship of a kind...

Hey!...Spike bellowed...That was my doing, you poof...Summers needed a lil of the ole

devil-boy...Not some fourth rate Shelley-imitator...

"I know about you and her..." Dawn looked away...

So...Buf couldn't forget the ole Spike, could she?...Had to tell the lil' Nibs and the gang all

about her little romance...Spike grinned inwardly...Well...No surprise, that...

Best she ever had...I can tell you that...he continued...Hey!...

William crushed him down...

"All right, then..." he looked at Dawn... "You know...Then you should be able to understand

my feelings a little..."

Well...Spike noted within...Nibs wasn't there when we tried to stop sis from running to the

cops and she beat you silly...

Us...William replied silently...

It wasn't my idea to stop her...Spike groused...Though...I did go along with it...For ole Buf's

sake...You might note that in my favor come Judgment Day...

Would you like to lose all power of speech?...William groused back...I can do that now, you

know...

I only tolerate your comments for what info you can provide, brother...he warned... You

know that...And you never gave me the slightest chance to communicate until you wanted

my help with Buffy...

Ummn...the demon faded, glowering...

"I still don't see why you can't just..." Dawn began...

"She "cared" for me?...She couldn't guess the torment I was in?..." William looked at her...

Hmmn...Anya thought...I must say...I always did think Buffy was a leetle cold towards her

Undead victims...

"She had other things to worry about, Spike...Ummn, Will..." Dawn replied...

And so do I...Now...he said softly...

"Well, then why did you come back here...?" Dawn glared at him...

God knows...William replied...Rubbing his head...

"Hell...Everyone I cared about is dead...I have no family who'd know me left...Where else

was I gonna go?..."

Spike quietly enjoying things from below...Hmmn...

Maybe he'd still get his chance to see the Slayer's demonic sister at that...

Romance Palace...Part V...

The sound of the Spikemobile pulling into the driveway brought Dawn and William out of

their little debate...

"Buffy and Xander!..." Anya hissed...

"You better go, Will... "Dawn turned to him...

Right...He got up...

Hey!...Spike cried from within...

"Wait a minute..." William paused...

Has Buffy been...? he eyed Dawn...Who looked nervously away...

An incoherent internal howl from trapped Spike...

Quiet...William pushed him down...

"Using my car...?" he finished...

Your #$%&*!ing car!...Spike howled...Your bloody #$%#!ing car!...

Not that I mind...William hastily added...

%$#!...

"I'm sure she was careful with it...But it is..."

#%$#!...

A difficult car to handle...

Gee...Never thought he'd take it so well...Dawn noted to herself...

My god...We're all dead...Anya thought...Vaguely hearing the trapped demon's screams of

hideous rage...

He sounds worse than Willow did...

"You better slip down to the cellar...Now..." Dawn noted to William...

Unless you've changed your mind and want to see her...she added hopefully...

He raised a hand...Later...

But...Seeing her crestfallen face...

"I will see her...When it's the right time..." he smiled at her...

"And it was good seeing you, Niblett..."

Dawn grinned back...

Always knew he had it in him...Hey, I was the first to recognize his potential, she thought

happily...

You're second on my list, you little!..If there's one #$%&^ing scratch!...Spike bellowed

within...

Anya rushed to cover the front door as he went to the basement stairs...And hurried down,

closing the door behind him...

The front door rattled a bit...

Dawn raised an eyebrow at Anya...Who shrugged...

"Just buying him a minute or two..."

She smiled at the girl...

"It'll work out Dawn...I'm sure of it..."

Just like it'll work out for me and...

"Dawn...?..The door's stuck!..." Buffy called...

Well...We've had worse, brother...William noted...Looking around the Magic Box basement...

&^%##!...

Rather superior digs at that...Compared to most of what we've been getting recently...

%#$^#!...

Spike...he sighed internally...The car is fine...Buffy was very careful with it, I'm sure...

And you were the one who entrusted it to dear old Clem...

#$#%! Clem...#$%&^!...

Buffy must have cared...he noted to himself quietly...To have wanted to take it...

Really...? Spike paused in his screaming rant...

Why...The little bitch...

You really think she...? the demon all but beamed...

#$%#! my car!...

Enough...William pushed the demon down...

"Hey..." Anya appeared suddenly...

Got everything you need?...

Not quite...Spike surged up within...Love...

"Spike's still the same I hear..." Anya smiled...

"You hear him?..." William looked at her...

An...ya...Spike intoned within...How's about a little...soul expulsion spell?...

"Yeah..." she nodded...Not all that clearly but if I concentrate...

And the answer's no, Spike...

Right, well concentrate on this...##$%!...

"Sorry..." William eyed her...Pushing the demon down...

Mate, behave to our hostess or I pull the plug on your language skills...And you know I can

do it...

"No problem...You should've heard Dracula when he was in his cups..." Anya smiled...

And in Romanian to boot...

"So..." Dawn had grinned at Buffy...A tad nervously...After a crash in the basement had sent

both she and Xander running to check...

Nothing...

Phew...Dawn and Anya had thought...He made it...

Anya having then departed with the explanation that she had a client to dissuade from

inflicting gory death on an unfaithful husband...

"You're a disgrace to vengeance-seeking fiends everywhere..." Xander had smiled at her...

I try...Anya grinned back...Vanishing...

"The Spikemobile made it another night?..." Dawn continued...

Hmm-hmmn...Buffy nodded...

Xander unable to contain himself...

"She sounded ok...But I heard a click when I made that last turn...You oughta have the

mechanic take a look..."

And get those dents fixed...he continued...Shaking his head...

Buffy rolled her eyes...

"You let him drive her?" Dawn growled...

I've been asking all summer...And you let him...

Dawn...You don't even have a permit...Buffy frowned at her...

Dawn frowned...Well...

"How was it...?" she eyed him...

God...Xander grinned...I tell ya...

That vampire knows his cars...

"Where's Clem?..." Buffy looked around...

Oh...When Anya came...I sent him home...Dawn explained...

The door opened and Clem entered with several blood bags...

"Slayer...Hi!..." he smiled...

Hey, Xander...he waved...Xander nodding...

Dawn desperately tried a signal...Clem eyed her curiously...

"You want something, Dawn?" he asked...

Say...? he looked around...

Spike and his soul leave...? he asked pleasantly...

Got his blood for him...

"So..." Anya continued...

After Willow let Xander reach her...And released her power...

We got her home and Giles put a limited memory block on her...Just enough to keep her from

remembering about Warren...

"See...She was a wreck...All set to commit suicide or run to the police...And Giles and

Buffy...All of us...Felt she should have some time to get her sanity back before spending the

rest of her life in prison..."

He'll lift that when she's ready of course...Anya hastily added...

William nodded...

Mears was hardly someone for whom one would demand immediate justice...Rather a pity

the whole thing couldn't be quietly forgotten...he noted...

Still Willow herself would insist on doing the right thing when she was up to it...he

continued...Though surely temporary insanity was a reasonable defense in this case...

Right...The temporary insanity defense...Spike sneered below...Your favorite...

Why don't you tell it to that grandfather in St. Louis?...I'm sure he'd listen to your eloquent

arguments..."Spike was a deranged maniac when he ate your wife and grandkids...But I'm all

right now..."

If you'd like to be staked, Spike...William hesitated...

You haven't got the guts, poof...Spike growled...

"Anya...? Where did Buffy keep those extra stakes...?"

Ummn...Will...Anya hesitated...

Gutless, whipped poof...Spike sneered...You'll never...

William pulled a board loose from a wooden crate...

"You want to...?" he smiled...

Got a first-class ticket to Hell right here...

"Guys...?" Anya looked at the "brothers" nervously...

Though I can't guarantee the service will be as good as what Angel got...

Romance Palace...Part VI...

PG-13...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Clip:

Hello...Buffy said...Staring at him...

Ok..She's won us back...Lets have titanic sex...Spike happily called from below...

Spike...William growled to himself...

What...? You gonna make her do the whole "Jerry Maguire" speech?...I thought you were a

Victorian gent?...Show our poor embarrassed Ms. Summers a little courtesy, mate...Make it

easy for her...

Just tell her she "had us at hello..." That's romantic, she'll love it...You moronic sot...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant

Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

She'll let you in her heart

If you gotta hammer and vice

Part VI...

Hmmn...Dawn thought...As the deafening silence continued...

You know, I think we have mice...

A puzzled Clem was staring at the shocked Buffy and Xander...Rather frozen himself...

Ummn...Slayer seemed a little...He looked to Dawn for support...

I do something?...

Buffy began a high-intensity blink...

"Spike was here?..." she stared at Clem, then Dawn...

Oh...right...Clem bit his lip...The soul didn't want her to know he was back...

He looked apologetically at Dawn...Gosh...Sorry...

It's ok...she looked back...Sighing...

"What was that about a soul?..." Xander asked...Likewise blinking...

Boys...Anya looked at William...And therefore, Spike...

"Angelis can probably take you in, brother..." William noted internally, holding the board

he'd pulled from a storage box...

Think of how nice it'll be to relive old times with him...

You wouldn't dare...Poof!...Spike growled...But a slight note of uncertainty...

William had hung on like grim death for 122 years...Clearly his soul "brother" was a

determined sort...

Heaven sounds awfully good to me...William noted...

Geesch...Guys...? Anya pleaded...

Think of Buffy...Dawn...

"I am thinking of them..." William replied...

And I'm sure they'd find life much easier with the two of us gone...

"Spike...er Will..." Anya hesitated...

"You could've done it weeks ago if you really wanted to..."

See...Poof!...Spike sneered within...

There's one fellow demon who knows us...Intimately...he grinned internally...

"Please, William..." Anya begged... "Spike wants to live...Demons hate Hell, that's why

they're even willing to be limited to night hours here on Earth...And have the Slayer on

their backs from the moment they rise...And he's always been the practical type...He'll

behave..."

Be#$%^ing! have!...Spike cried within...

"And you have things to do...The atonement thing...Your life to live at last..."

And Buffy cares...I know she does...Anya continued...

She was so broken-up when you left...I mean after the joy of the world not being destroyed,

Giles coming home, her saving Willow and overcoming resurrection depression had faded...

"Really?..." Both "brothers" chorused at her...

I told you...Summers never had it so good...Spike confidently boasted...

Besides...Anya paused...

There's something you don't know...

Well...she thought...A couple of things...But even the one I can tell him oughta be enought to

keep him in this world...

There he was...Lying on his back...His sweet face looking up at me...No accusation in his

eyes...

Oh...My darling...Oh God...William...

Henry pressed my arm...We should go...There's nothing more we can do for him...he told me

sadly...

"I have to see!..." I cried, shaking my cousin off and bending over him...I turned his head...

Oh, God...The marks...

"A strange case, miss..." the attending morgue doctor began, eyeing us...

I looked at him...Staggering...

"Cicely!..." cousin Henry cried...Grabbing at me as I fainted...

Buffy...? Dawn and Xander called to the dazed Slayer...She staggered...Still lost in her

daze...

Buffy!...Dawn cried out...Clem hastening over as well...

The shock he noted to Dawn...Just too much for her...

"William...?" she murmured...Trying to get up...

I have to be there...Stop him...I can't let him...Rise...

"Buffy?..." Dawn stroked her hair...Buffy...

"Dawny?..." she looked at her...

"Did you say Spike was back?..."

We need a neurologist...Definitely...Xander noted to Clem who nodded...

"There's a good one on Forsyth St..." the demon noted...

They called Giles after my leetle collapse...Dawn and Xander that is...Refusing to let me set

a foot out of the house until he and Willow came over...

Though poor Clem was quite concerned for me as well...

As consolation, Xander agreed not to carry out his "immediate staking" threat...

And to call Anya to come over asap...Meaning by teleport...And give me details on William's

condition...

Clem kindly agreeing to head over to the shop with his blood...

Giles rushed over, having picked up Willow at her parents on the way...

Giles...Thank God for my second father...Who'd made no less than three costly trips back and

forth since Willow's little rampage...All to help Willow in her recovery and to reassure me...

and all of us...That we were not alone...

I still couldn't get over the fact that he hadn't set out to immediately destroy Spike as soon as

Willow was secure and he'd recovered a bit...That he'd found my tale of our little

"couplings"...Hilarious...Even...Rather touching...

And the most startling thing of all...He'd been less upset by my sleeping with

William...ummn...Spike...Than my not trying to help him...

Not that he approved of our little tryst...Just...

He'd never forgotten the look on William's face when I died...No pure demon looks like

that...

He'd actually hoped it would be good therapy for me...And a constructive way for Willow to

use her magics in a creative way...Helping our resident electronically-medicated psychotic

back to Humanity...

All year he'd quietly gathered what little info he could find on vampire redemption, soul-

restoration...In case we called him, half-expecting we would...To help our new friend and

assistant...

Gee...He really must have hated Angel...

Instead...We'd...Giles was too polite to put it in harsh terms...

Used and abandoned him...

Reminding me that before I died I'd been terrified that I was losing the ability to feel...To

care...

Not that he in any way approved of...

Just...

"Well..." he eyed me...Now in bed at Dawn's insistence...

I think Xander is right about the neurologic consult...

However...

"Giles...I am not crazy..."

That would be a psychologic consult, Buf...Xander helpfully noted...

This one is in case your brain is still half-melted...

Don't forget your little session with Warren's invisibility ray...he continued...

"Say..." Willow asked...Pausing from patting my hand...

Whatever happened to that guy?...Did he go join Andrew and Jonathan in Mexico?...

Probably did...Xander nodded, eyeing Giles...Yeah, I'm sure of it...

Romance Palace...Part VII..

It was just a matter of being cool, calm, and collected...William noted...

Spike for once agreeing...Cool being his state of choice...

Anya's news might admittedly be...Potentially...Earth-shaking...At least to him...And Buffy...

Hey!...A cry from within...Spike was genuinely hurt...He wasn't in Hell yet you know...Still

a contributing member and a valuable part of the team...

I mean you too, brother...William noted to himself...

Sensitive little fellow aren't you...? he teased...For a mass murderer I mean...

That was business...A matter of survival...Our unjust curse...It was never personal...Spike

insisted solemnly...

Excuse me...? William nearly barfed...

Well...Ok...Once in a while...It was rather nice...

Say remember that bloke in Easthampton?...The stupid lout who tried to sell us that

broken-down old horse back in 1889?...Now you must admit, doing him in was sheer...

A creak on the floor...He turned...

Buffy...

"Bu...Buf...

"Summers..." William tried to choke out a casual greeting...

Hello...Buffy said...Staring at him...

Ok..She's won us back...Lets have titanic sex...Spike happily called...

Spike...William growled to himself...

What...? You gonna make her do the whole "Jerry Maguire" speech?...I thought you were a

Victorian gent...Show our poor embarrassed Ms. Summers a little courtesy, mate...Make it

easy for her...

Just tell her she "had us at hello..." That's romantic, she'll love it...You moronic sot...

Enough...

"Buffy...? What are you doing here?..."

Anya...You sweet bitch of a demon...Spike grinned within...You couldn't keep it in for thirty

seconds...

"Clem told us...By accident...He didn't mean to ..."

She handed him a couple of blood bags...

"I...Ummn...Decided...To ask him to let me bring these over..."

I had to slip out of the house...she paused...Eyeing him...

Had a little shock...When I heard...

Oh?...William eyed her...

Naturally...Spike beamed within...News of our return would do that to any woman...Now,

make your move, you sot...

"So...How've you been?..." Buffy looked away...

I hear you were in Africa?...

Hmm-hmmn...William nodded...

"You heard about Willow?..." she asked, looking at him briefly...

Hmm-hmmn...

Spike howling from within...Soooooooooootttttt!

Enough...William pushed him down...

"Must have been a rough time for you lot..." William noted...

Glad to hear Willow's in recovery...

She looked at him...Clearly seeing him for the first time...

William?...She eyed the scars she could see...Guessing at the ones she couldn't...

"What the hell happened to you?" Buffy cried out in fright...

He shrugged...

"I... "heard the rains down in Africa..." as the song goes..."

"Buffy!..." Anya appeared suddenly...

What the hell do you think you're doing?...You're supposed to be in bed!...

"Are you all right?..." William looked at her...She did look pale...

Fine, fine...Just a leetle fainting spell...It was nothing...Buffy waved a hand...

Keeled over at the first mention of our return...Spike gloated from within...See...

"What about these scars...? William?..."

Just a leetle fighting spell...he grinned...

"Buffy?..." Anya glared... "Giles is coming...And if you don't go back...Now..."

I may have to rethink letting William stay here...

They stared at her...

"I mean...Get him a motel room...Somewhere away from here...I wouldn't just send him out..."

He's hurt...Buffy looked at her...

In agony...Spike noted...C'mon brother...Let her feel the pain...She wants to play Florence

Nightengale...

"I'm fine...The blood and a few hours' rest will do me a world of good ..." William told her...

"I'm getting some stuff for him..." Anya told her...

Xander and I will see he gets everything he needs...

Ummn...Xander?...Buffy looked at her...

Anya shook her head...Don't worry...He's promised...

And he's a man of his word...

Well...Usually...When it doesn't involve a solemn, life-long commitment...she noted...Getting

a bit misty...

Tell her she can't leave us alone with that human killing machine...Spike growled...A poor

poof poet like you can't hope to survive the mighty Mr. Harris...he sneered...

Rather nice to have our fate in ole Xander's hands...William grinned back...

Nervous, by any chance, Spike...? The ole chip is still firmly in its socket, you know...

#$%!...the demon faded out...

Well...Buffy hesitated...

"Are you sure you'll be ok?..."

Oh...This is so sw...So incautious and dangerous...Anya noted to herself...

"Buffy...?" she nervously pleaded...

I'll be fine...William eyed her...

A boyish smile breaking for the first time...Ow!...A scar in the way...

Buffy winced...

Ok...she nodded...

Guess we'd be better off talking tomorrow...

Or even better...In a week...Or two...Anya brightly noted...

"Thanks..." William smiled at her...A somewhat trunkated one, on account of multiple scars...

I just wanted to make sure you were ok...she smiled back, wanly...

No...he paused...Although I do appreciate the visit...

"Thanks for calling me...William..."

Last year, I mean...Before...

"It's your name, isn't it...?" she looked at him...Smiling...

Oh...Anya trembled...Gotta get back to the others before I explode...

"Ummn...You still are a vampire, right?..." Buffy eyed him...

I mean...Not that that would be a good thing...Just protectionwise and all...It might not be so

bad...

She wants us, bro...Spike cheered within...She is hooked...Now just...

"Yeah...And still getting sex advice from ole Dr. Spike..." William frowned wryly at her...

"Great...I mean...That you can help me and protect yourself...Helpin' me in the fight against

evil...That sort of thing..." she looked at him innocently...

Is this gonna be a great year or what?...she thought happily...

He sighed faintly...Eyeing Anya...Who'd given him "the news"...News that could change their

lives as much as his soul recovery...

Cicely always was a forward girl...he thought...

Romance Palace...Part VIII...

PG-13...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant

Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Part VIII...

Halfreck of course had not initially meant to spill any of the beans regarding the "Walthrop

case"...But by nature a talkative type, and rather proud of her determined efforts in this

particular case, she hadn't been able to resist dropping a few minor details one night visiting

with her sister demon...

However it had rather quickly come to her that letting Buffy learn a few of those details might

not be the worst thing...If a few relevant ones could be left out...

And dear Anyanka was never the sort to hold good gossip back...She'd pass it on to Ms.

Summers...And then...We'd see...

Anya for her part with Xander's strong urging had been probing all summer at every

opportunity for info from the "justice" demon...Curious as to why she'd taken an interest in

Dawny...And more important, why she was still hanging around...

And how she had known... "William"...

She didn't quite buy the idea that Haly just wanted to hang with a sister...Her fellow demon

hadn't seemed to feel any need to get together with her much in the past couple of centuries...

And of course if in the course of their conversations, with Xander in nervous attendance...

Lest dear Haly finally persuade Anya to some act she might regret later...Haly should mention

the procedure by which a vengeance demon could be released or expelled, depending on your

pov, from D'Hoffryn's order, well...

That'll be all right too...The key issue, from Xander's pov...

Spike being lower than ever on his list of charities at that particular time, two weeks previous

to William's return...

Unless one considers immediate staking...charity...

It was annoying Halfreck had noted, in a conversation one night that week, eyeing Xander...

With all due respect to both his world-saving love and Anyanka's feeling, seeing a

transgressor getting off scot-free just went against her grain...

"Haly, Xander was just nervous...He never stopped loving me..." Anya had smiled

reassuringly at her beloved...A very lucky man...In both his two great loves...As he

appreciated...

"Couldn't I just pay a call to one of the human females who disliked him back in high

school...There must be plenty of them around..." she smirked at Xander...

"Just something simple...Small...Say, get her to wish me to strike him blind?..." Haly asked...

Haly...Anya sighed...I don't want vengeance...

Justice...Halfreck firmly corrected...I deal in...Justice...

"Justice?..." Xander choked...

Nearly getting us all killed back at Buffy's place was...Justice...?

"Haly...If you were human again...You'd understand..." Anya began...

Pffht...Haly sneered...Aren't we the self-righteous little human wanna-be...?

"I can remember a time, Anyanka...Before you met dreamboat here...You were a champion of

our kind of justice..."

You don't want to hear this...Xander told himself...You want to go straighten out the

stockroom...

"Be in the back, honey..." he called...

"Bye, dreamboat..." Haly cooed...

Don't let anything happen to you in that dark stockroom...

"Haly?...Don't you dare!..."

You know I can't...I'm just jerking his chain...she grinned...

"Haly..." Anya sighed... "You would understand...If you were human...Like..." Anya sensed

an opening...

Back when you knew William...

"In 1880?..." Halfreck smiled...

"What?...1880?...You weren't human in 1880?..."

Then again there weren't many if any men named "William" back in Second Dynasty Egypt

when human Halfreck had tended the Pharaoh's sacred cats as a junior priestess...

But he was...Halfreck grinned...

'Course I did know Spike from before my soul and demon merged...Back in Hell...

Anya blinked...

Very unusual fellow...It was nice to see him finally reach Earth...

Though...Haly sighed...A leetle disappointing...He never quite seemed to want to get together

with me...That damned vampire "mother" of his...

"You know vampires and their taste for incest..." Haly eyed Anya...

They get their little pride together and that's that...

"Xan-der..." Anya called as calmly as possible...

And both William and Spike were always the one woman man type...Haly continued...

Kind of part of their charm really...she noted fondly...

"You..." Anya looked at her...

Hmmn?...Halfreck looked back, cocking her head...

Oh...Right...

Hmm-hmmn...she nodded, smiling...

"What...?" Xander hurried in...

"She cursed William...In 1880..." Anya eyed her sister demon...

But...I thought Drusilla...Xander looked at them...

"Lucky happenstance..." Haly grinned...Fate putting its seal of approval on my work...

Well...Maybe not so lucky...she thought...Just skillful timing...But no need for Anyanka to tell

Buffy that...

But...What did he do?...Anya stared at her...

"Pretty much what he's been doing here until he left..." Halfreck noted...

He got in the Slayer's way, poor sweet fool...

In Buffy's way?...Anya blinked...Xander blinked...

"You mean the 1880's Slayer..." Anya looked at the demon...

William knew the 1880's Slayer?...As a human...?

"Well..." Halfreck paused...The fact is...

OH...! Anya put her hand to her mouth...

"That's why you're here...You're still cursing him..."

Holy!...Anya put the other hand to her mouth...

An?...Xander looked at her...

"Xander...Don't you see?...It was Buffy's wish..."

What?...

But whoa...How could she have?...he paused...

Well...Halfreck noted...Her name was Cicely Addams then...

What?...

It's not that unusual, honey...Anya noted...

Slayers reincarnate more than most people...Very strong lifelines and usually lots of unfinished

business...

"But what did he do to her...To deserve...Drusilla?"...Anya looked at Halfreck...

Oh...Well, nothing really...But Cicely needed him gone...He was very

poor and a very poor poet...And, as she was the Slayer, even then...

Xander stared at Anya...Anya at him...

"You condemned him for nothing?..." Anya stared at the demon...

I'm a demon...It's what I do...Haly shrugged...Anyways, all I did was drive him away...

"Besides...What about that poor girl, Drusilla...Did she deserve her

fate?...Sometimes these extra things just...Happen..."

With a little help, she thought with a touch of pride...After all, is there anything more poetic

than turning one's true love into something one must inevitably hate and destroy?...

But...no need for Ms. Summers to know that...

"I thought you said you were a "justice" demon..." Anya glared...

"Now just a minute..." Halfreck had raised a finger...

"I'm simply doing my job...Carrying out a wish...Your friend's I might point out..."

And when I carry out a wish...It stays...she noted proudly...

With a leetle occasional maintenance...she thought...Eyeing the couple...

Giles had understandably insisted they sit on this "news"...It was hardly likely to contribute to

Buffy's shaken peace of mind just at that time...

When the proper time came, they could tell her...Cautiously...What Halfreck had said...And he

could perform a check to confirm it...

But just then, six weeks after Spike had left, Buffy had had enough to worry about...After the joy

of seeing Willow and the world saved had faded, there was of course Willow's rehabilitation and

the temporarily deferred consequences of Warren's murder to worry about...The continuing

financial worries...And more important...

Spike had left a leetle gift for his girl...

Buffy'd known since eight days before Anya's fateful conversation with her old friend...

Learning it the hard way while on Patrol...In the midst of a surprisingly tough fight with a

rather average, though tall vamp...A female...Who'd sensed it even as they fought...And out of

some buried bit of surviving humanity...Or a perverse sense of vamp humor...Suggested the

Slayer might wish to take a break and finish this one another night, watching Buffy as she

suddenly stopped and parted with her dinner...

"You're not showing yet, Slayer...What less than two months?..." the vamp had asked,

watching her...Sympathetically...?

You really should take it easy, you know...she solemnly told her...Buffy staring at her in

horror...

Showing?...Showing...As in...

Pr...

"And you're too thin...You have to eat properly now..."

Had had her share of children in her former life, she explained pleasantly...

"Can I help you back to your car?...Or are you all right?...No, Franklin..." she waved off her

mate who'd finally come from his hiding place...

Eleanor?...her mate asked nervously...

It's fine, dearest...Truce for tonight...Right, Slayer?...

Buffy was too shocked to do more than nod...No, no...I can manage...she mumbled...

Preg...

Preg...

The tall vampiress eyed her...

"Sure you're alright?..."

"Yeah..." Buffy nodded..."Thanks..."

"Don't forget...You've got to eat properly...And try to keep your feet up when you can..." the

former mother called, waving...

Yeah...Thanks..

You know what I think, the male said to its mate as they left, Eleanor continuing to watch Ms.

Summers as she headed to her car...

We should let our brethren know the Slayer is vulnerable...This could be the one good day we

all look for...

Franklin...Eleanor paused...The poor girl is indisposed...You couldn't...

Hardly sporting dear...

Well...Franklin paused...

Now, Franklin...she eyed him firmly...After all she did let me go...

Of course if you don't care about that...Eleanor looked at her sheepish mate...

Oh...All right...he fussed a bit...

"You've a noble heart Eleanor...But one day it will get you into trouble...Especially with the

Slayer..."

"There'll be another time, dearest..."

They headed back towards the woods by the cemetery...

He paused...

"You know you don't have to go on about my not caring...You have to admit I've tried very

hard to be more sensitive these past years...And it was only one meaningless little affair,

decades ago..."

"You know you're the only girl for me, Babbie..."

Well...I would hardly call it "meaningless"...But...We'll see...Eleanor replied...

We have plenty of time for you to prove yourself...

Eleanor...he groused...

I'm here aren't I?...she noted...Ever since our transformation...

Well...he smiled at her affectionately...

Just don't start thinking I take you for granted...he noted...

I suppose we could just forget we saw the Slayer tonight...he eyed her...

"But...Dearest..." he sighed... "Slayer...Vampire...You've got to start accepting political

realities..."

"Well...Anyway...I'm sure we can find some one doing evil to take tonight..." she noted...

I always feel more comfortable eating evildoers...

You're my moral compass, my dear...he smiled at her...

Romance Palace...Part IX...

A nervous Anya continued to press Buffy to head for home...

Hopefully before William...Or more likely, Spike...Communicated her "news" to Buffy...

Well...Buffy eyed William...

Guess I'd better be going...I'll see you tomorrow, right?...

He nodded...

"Will?..." she paused...Nervously rubbing her hands...

"Was it for me?..."

He eyed her...

"Well...Buffy...To be honest..."

Oh right...Spike groused within...Go ahead, tell her...You stupid... "No, Summers...I...er we

embarked on this little quest to find a way to rip your silly throat open..." Go ahead, you

Angel twit-in-training... Tell her...Blow a perfectly good entry to her pants...It's what you're

best at...A talent for poofery even greater than your awful poetry...

"...I'm not sure what we were after, Buffy...But..." he smiled at her... "Yes...In the end...I think

it was..."

She blinked...And smiling gently at him, nodded...And nodding to Anya went up the stairs to

the basement door...Anya following, a nervous mother hen...

"Xander and I will be back later, Will..." she called from the door...Waiting for Buffy to go

through...

"Good night...William..." Buffy called...hesitantly...Pausing...

Welcome...Home...

She hurried out...

Good night...he called...

"Is she ok?..." he looked up the stairs to Anya...Who waved a hand...

"Lots to think about, Will..." she smiled down at him...

Give her time...

He nodded and Anya headed out...

Give her time?...After all that had just happened here he could wait now till Judgment Day...

he thought...

He'd already waited a century, hadn't he?...Living on nothing but the tiniest crumb of

hope...Well...On what she'd given him just now...

Hmmn...Dear old bro is rather quiet...Finally at a loss for words, eh...

You satisfied, brother?...William smiled inwardly...Pulling some boxes around the basement

to make a sleeping space...

Spike?...

Sp...ike?...

You do know that with an opening like that I would right now be undoing her blouse...the

demon groused...

Say...Spike continued...

She seem funny to you?...

She looked exhausted...They both said she'd fainted before...Really, the others should've kept

a better watch on her, letting her slip out like that...William noted to himself...

No...Well...Yeah...But...There was something else...Spike pondered with his limited capacity...

Well...William considered...She did seem...

Guess she was just overwhelmed by my renewed presence...Spike noted happily...Even

through the blocking poof effect of you, you twit...

Must have been it, brother...William smiled inwardly...

Tears...Those were tears she was blinking back.. Spike continued...

For me, you know...The ex-lover...

Right...William patiently agreed...

Hey it takes so little to make the condemned one happy...

And those were tears...Tears for...Us...he noted...

In wonder...

You haven't told him?...Buffy eyed Anya outside...

Told him?...Ohh...Right...

The little...joy bundle...

"Absolutely not, Buffy..."

She frowned at Anya...

"He looked at me...As if he knew something..."

"Buffy...I would never tell him without your full permission and consent...Which I take it you

are not offering as yet..."

"I can't let him know...Not just yet..."

Hard to avoid him knowing much longer Anya thought...Looking at her friend...

Good thing she wasn't wearing anything tight tonight...

Ummn...Buffy?...

"Have you...Decided?...Anything...?" Anya paused...

Buffy waved a hand...

"Not yet...I can't..."

Well...Maybe you should let him in on...Things...

"It's my decision, Anya...I'll let you guys know what I decide...But he's not to be told...By

anyone but me..."

Ok...Anya looked back at the shop...Oh...Will...

And felt Buffy's hand on her arm...

"Anya...It's really true?..." Buffy asked cautiously...

You're sure...?

"As sure as I can be without Giles doing a thorough soul check, Buffy..."

Are you...Glad?...Anya looked at her...

Buffy paused...Looking down the street...

"I don't know...I...I think so..."

Is he?...she looked Anya in the eyes...

"I think so..." Anya nodded...

Yes...Though he's got a lot ahead of him...And he knows it...

Buffy looked down...Staring...

I didn't do anything for him, Anya...Nothing...All this time...

And if it's true...And his soul was hovering around, trying to fight...

"No...No, Buffy..." Anya smiled...

"You gave him a reason to hang around...Keep fighting..."

Why do you think he stayed and helped us...Even after you died...?

William couldn't give you up...And who knows...

Maybe Spike couldn't either...Even if it cost him...This...

Buffy looked up at her...

"How...How could he love me so much...? I don't understand it...I've never given him

anything...Except to take whatever he offered me...And let him go on...As he was...When I

could at least have released him..."

Oh...Cicely...Anya thought...You don't know the half of it...Oh, I have got to get away from

her before I spill everything...she noted to herself...

And Giles kills me...Or at least leaves me as I am...For good...

"Well, Buffy..." she shrugged... "Really asking the wrong person, you know..." she smiled...

Funny...Anya grinned...

"You know...Willow asked me the same question about Xander the day after he saved her..."

How could he love me so much?...

Halfreck continued her ruminations as she finished her stroll...

So far, whatever if anything, Anya had passed on to Buffy about what she'd told her regarding

Cicely Addams had not been sufficient...

Geesch, I knew Slayers were rather cold and heartless but I mean, C'mon...the demon thought...

If I had caused my innocent...Husband's...death and possibly eternal condemnation...

Well, ok...I did call down vengeance on my common-law feller, back in Egypt...But he

deserved it...Not enough just to fool around, he goes and has me put on the list to be sealed

up in the Queen's pyramid with her corpse...

But Cicely...Well, of course she never realized what she was wishing on poor William...At

least not until it was much too late...

And she must have gone to considerable trouble to win reincarnation...

After all, Anya may not have told her anything yet...

While in the meantime Buffy has been coming together with Spike even in spite of

herself...Almost as bad as he was...Drawn like a magnet...

Not good...

Guess it must be true love...Pity it will be all for nothing in the end...

And at the rate Ms. Summers was trying to run from any thing that might be construed as

even the remotest type of tie last time I checked on things between her and Spike...Even with

the latest disturbing turn of events...I may not even have to intervene...Much...Again...

Maybe just with that bit of help from her friendly guardian demon that had already worked so

well in the past...Though never quite enough...

Well...A justice demon's work is truly never done...

Romance Palace...Part X...

PG-13...

Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in

the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant

Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Part X...

Dawn expressed her resentment over Buffy's slipping out...With the ultimate punishment...

"I called Giles and told him you sneaked out..." she told her sister crossly...As Buffy entered

with Anya...

"Dawn...I am not...14..." Buffy glared at her arms-crossed, frowning sister...But paused...

What did he say?...

Unfortunately, that was part of the reason for Dawn's extreme resentment...

"Well...He didn't think it was all that bad...Hoped you found Will ok...But he was concerned

that you ran out after your fainting spell..." she hastily added...

And he was going over to check...On him...And you...

Oh...Buffy looked at Anya...Fretting just a bit...Giles might be a leetle...with Spike just now,

knowing as he did about...My little...Problem...

Even knowing about Will's soul's return...Angry substitute papadom might well win out over

sympathy for William...Not even considering that ole Watcher practicality that might

encourage preventative measures against either the soul thing being a trick or any chance of a

Spike return...

Kinda nice, in a way...Not that she was sliding back into dependency...Just nice to have a

"papa" on hand who would not hesitate to take the shotgun to the boy who got his little girl

"in difficulties"...Make him do the "right thing"...

Gulp... "right thing"?...Why did I have to think of that...? Uh-boy...

Besides, she thought confusedly...William never in his life behaved dishonorably...And if he

had known...Nothing they did would have made him leave me...

He'd never have run off...Whatever that thing said to him...He'd have lived...And our baby

and I wouldn't have...

Wouldn't have...What?...she murmured...Staring around...

"Buffy?..." Anya looked at her...Then Dawn...Who was also looking, increasingly nervous...

There she goes again...Geesch...Dawn looked at Anya...

"What is wrong with me?..." Buffy whispered...Who is wrong with me?...

"Buffy?..." Dawn was getting frightened now...

It's Xander's neurologist tomorrow her look said to Anya...No more excuses...

The Slayer looked at Anya and Dawn...

"Sorry guys...It's been a long day..."

You are seeing a doctor tomorrow...Dawn said grimly...

Buffy nodded an ok...Which perhaps frightened Dawn more than anything else...What if it's

something to do with...?

Anya gave Dawn a reassuring look...Wish I could say something to her about this, the demon

thought sadly...

Not that telling her about Cicely is likely to be much reassurance...

"I'll be ok, Dawny...And I will see a doctor..." Buffy patted her sis' shoulder...

But, first things first...

"Anya, you're going back, right?...You and Xander will make sure Giles doesn't...Do

anything?..."

Xander?...Dawn thought...Hell, Xander would help him...At least considering all his rants the

past couple of weeks...Since he found out the "big secret" they've been trying to keep from

me...

Right, like I don't notice when Buffy suddenly gives up her beloved tight blouses and pants

and switches to loose stuff...Even on Patrol when it could get in her way...

So much for including me in her life...And did I give even a hint to Will when he was here?...

All that time I was ready to explode...Scream it at him when he first came to the door...And

then wanting to hug him and tell him when he told me what had happened to him...

Anya nodded to Buffy...They'd see Giles didn't get too upset...And really, she didn't think

he would...He'd shown a lot of sympathy for Will during the times his name had come up

when he'd been around this summer...

"And besides, he'd never stake the..." Anya paused as Buffy glared...

Anya looked at Dawn, Dawn frowned...Geesch...What am I, five years old?...

Ummn...Anya continued...Someone we all cared about...In spite of his past transgressions...

Thanks...Buffy nodded...

And thanks for not...her look said...Anya smiled and nodded...

She left with a wave...Teleporting to Xander's to save time...

Neat thing...Buffy noted to Dawn...Not that I want her to stay trapped that way...

Dawn, somewhat over her fright, had not finished venting however...

"I...nearly...Called Willow after Giles when I couldn't find you..."

Hmm-hmmn...Buffy nodded absently...

"Willow looked good tonight, didn't she?..."she noted...

Hope she'll be able to handle it when Giles removes the memory block about Warren...

"Still don't understand why he has to..." Dawn groused...

"She's just gotten over losing Tara...To Giles' unspecified evil enemy..."

Why put her through it all over again for Warren Mears' sake...?

"It's for her sake...Not Warren's..." Buffy stressed gently...

Willow has to deal with this...She killed a human being...Even if she was insane at the time...

"So you're gonna let her turn herself in...Or maybe even...?" Dawn paused...

You know what she was like the first days after Xander brought her back...

"Willow is strong...She won't hurt herself..." Buffy insisted...

It was the power controlling her before...

"I wasn't exactly rational last summer when I threatened everyone over you, you know..." she

pointed out...

"But even if she doesn't...Hurt herself...The cops are never gonna believe the insane with grief

and mystic energy story..."Dawn hesitated...

Even I...she paused...Looking down...

"Even I can't quite get past what she did...Tried to do...To all of us..."

Buffy patted her...

"But she didn't in the end..." Buffy noted, hugging Dawn...

Our Willow came back to us in the end...And she will now, whatever happens...

"As for the police..." Buffy grinned... "Well, they're not all quite as clueless as you may

think..."

I've had to deal with them on occasion...And Giles has...Contacts...

"Can't go round staking human-looking things all over Sunnydale every night without

somebody calling the cops every now and then..."

We'll explain things...They'll help her...But first she has to deal...And it's important that she

makes the decision whatever the possible consequences are...

Ok...Dawn nodded, still looking sourly at her sis...

Speaking of dealing...she thought...Glowering a bit...

I know someone else who has to face up to the consequences of her actions...

"He looked...So exhausted..." Buffy suddenly blurted...

Near tears, Dawn realized in wonder...

Did you see those scars on him?...They're all over him...Buffy looked at her sis...

"He must have been hurt so bad...Glory-level hurt...For me, again..."

She stared at Dawn...Trembling...

"Trying to save me...Again...From himself..."

"My poor William..." she burst into tears...

Oh...Dawny...What am I gonna do?...

Dawn hugged her desperately...

"Buffy, this isn't bad...If it's true...It's wonderful..."

"I'm...Pregnant, Dawn..." Buffy whispered...

Yeah...Dawn nodded...

What?...Whatdaya mean, "Yeah..."?...

"I mean...You're starting to show, sis..."

God...No...she raced to the large mirror in the hall just off the living room...

She angled herself...Nope...Other side...Nah...A little turn...Oops...

Oh, God...

"You look great though...A real glow..." Dawn noted...Grinning...

Shut up...Buffy glared at her...

Dawn continued to grin...Buffy broke into a sheepish smile...

"He's gotta be a good man, Buffy...For Spike to be what he was this past year, William has to

be..." Dawn told her confidently...

Buffy nodded quietly, coming back into the living room and sitting on the sofa...Dawn

huddling into her arms...

"I had to go and see him, Dawn..." Buffy eyed her...

I had to know...If he'd...Changed...

Dawn looked at her...

Buffy looked away...But a faint smile broke...

"It was William...All this time...Whatever part Spike played this year...William was the one

who loved me..."

He hasn't changed...she smiled...A tear running down her face...

"Not a chance..." Dawn smiled at her...Of course...she paused...

He did seem a little...Annoyed with you

Not in all this time...I haven't lost him...Buffy murmured...

Well...Dawn thought...It's only been eight weeks...Still I suppose there was no way to be sure

how William would feel about her...

If he can forgive me...she went on, dreamily...Oh, God...It could still be put right...Even now...

"Well..." Dawn paused... "I still don't understand why he should be miffed at you not staking

him..."

What?...Buffy looked blankly at her...

"I just mean...If you'd staked him, he'd never have had the chance he's got now...If it is all

true..." Dawn cautiously noted...

Buffy looked at her...Blinking...What was the little girl saying?...William had wanted...?

"He wanted to die?..." she began sobbing quietly...Clenching her fists...

Oh God, what have I done?...Oh, darling I wanted to save you...

Buffy?...Dawn stared at her...Hmmn...She was drifting off again...

"I wanted to save him..." she looked frantically at Dawn...Taking her hands...

He'd have been killed if he stayed...

"Buffy?..." Dawn was getting truly frightened now...And the pressure on her hands was

rising...

I had to...I had to...she murmured...Sobbing...

"Buffy?...You're scaring me..." Dawn looked at her...Not to mention crushing my hands, she

thought...

Stop this...

"I loved him so..."

"Buffy?..." Dawn shook her a bit...

"He was 'annoyed' with me...?" Buffy suddenly came out of it...

Ummn...

"Well...I guess I should have done something for him...But it was a busy year, right?..." she

looked at Dawn...

Ummn...Yeah...she replied...Staring at her sis...

What?...Buffy eyed her...

Looking like this year's gonna be an even busier one...Dawn thought...

"It's important..."

Yeah, yeah...

"A creature like William and Spike needs all the support he can get..."

Yeah, yeah...

"To counter the demon's natural attempts to influence the soul...You know like those cartoons

with the little devil and angel appearing on Fred Flintstone's shoulder...Only the angel is his

new-found conscience and well, you know who the devil one is..."

Uhhh...Xander groaned...Readjusting the heavy box on his shoulder...

Ferrying all this stuff to the Box just to please An...Well...Ok...Will do...But, geesh...

For William the Bloody?...To make sure our manic killer nemesis and would be Buffy-rapist

is "comfy"...

"So...Be nice..." Anya continued...

"And what if this turns out to be a trick?...If he's got some magic whatdayacallit, good enough to

fool even Giles...We let him hang around and the next thing you know, Buffy..."

Goes back to him?...she eyed him as they reached the shop door...

Uhhhhh...he glared at her...

But...Yeah, that was about the sum of all his fears...

He paused on the step...Putting the box down...

"Geesh...When I think of her...With him...Him taking advantage of the way she was..."

And now we're encouraging him to stay...?

Xander?...Be fair, she went to him when they were lovers...And you know about Cicely now...

This isn't some crazy side effect of resurrection...

"I'm not accepting Halfreck's story without some confirmation besides Buffy getting all

hallucinationy..."

But you know...As well as I do...That she loves him...Anya eyed him...

And with good reason...Think of how he was this past year...Always trying to be there for her,

do you have any idea how hard that must have been?...What he had to overcome?...

Xander stared at her...

Ummn...Anya looked away...

"I'm sorry..." Xander looked at her... "An...I'm so sorry, honey..."

It's all my fault...

Oh...Xander...

Xander, Alexander...Please don't cry...Anya hugged him...

Don't cry, baby...Don't cry...she rocked him...It'll work out, I promise...Giles will find

something...Or find something to offer D'Hoffryn in exchange...

It's not so bad for me...Really...At least I'm not compelled to kill like Spike...And I'm not

angry...Much...Anymore...My soul is pretty intact...

"And I have you...Pulling for me..."

C'mon...Spike will laugh at you if he sees you've been crying...Even if you can't hear him, I

can...she grinned at him...

And I don't want that demon making fun of my feller...

He rubbed his head and laughed at that...

"When Buffy was invisible..." he paused...

"She was at his crypt...When I came to see Spike, looking for her..."

It didn't hit me until after she told me about them...

He looked at Anya...And smiled...

"She was all over him, pulling on his ear...It wasn't some kind of weird thrall...She was happy

to be with him..."

He sat on the box and looked at her...

"If all this...Is really true...?"

I think it is...Anya replied...But we'll know beyond all doubt when Giles checks him out...

"Buffy and William...God...Well...If it does hafta be a vampire...With a soul...Well, at least

Will's the staying type..."

What if it's all true, Xander?...If this has been a love story going on since 1880?...Anya

paused...

Then..he grinned...

"Cicely, you got some 'splaining to do..." he smiled...

And they went in...

Romance Palace...Part XI...

Part XI...

Xander and Anya found William in the shop's main room...Sharing a quiet cup

of tea with one Rupert Giles...

"Spike has access to information that could be useful...To Buffy as well as

me..." William was going on..."If I allow him to continue communicating..."

"And...I am a vampire, soul not withstanding...Still Immortal, still powerful

enough to do soome good...If I'm going to make sensible use of all that, any

info Spike can provide is worth the occasional tussle..."

Giles nodded...

"He can't get the upper hand again...Not with me in control..."

Pfhht...You sodden poof, if I hadn't been stupid enough to try that demon

god...Spike groused within...

"Well..." Giles sighed...Nodding to Xander and Anya who came cautiously

into the room...Xander heaving the box...

"You're probably right to keep access to Spike...Best to know what if

anything he's up to..."

William nodded to the newcomers...Eyeing Xander, with a wry grin...

"He will help, Giles..." he paused...

"He loves Buffy too, I have to grant him that..."

Loves her...Too?...Spike glared internally...Too? #$%$!ing too?...I was the

one who...

Found my wife for me?...Thanks, brother...William grinned within...

Whoa...

Anya stared at William...Being the only other person on hand who could hear

that conversation...

Wife?...she thought, gulping...

Wife?...

Xander looked at Giles...

"So...This means you believe him...?"

"I don't disbelieve him, Xander...This sort of thing has happened on a few

rare occasions..." Giles noted...

"Giles will test me out, thoroughly, Harris...Starting tomorrow..." William

smiled at Xander...

He eyed the box and grinned at Anya...For me?...

Anya smiling back...

"Just a few things to get you set up..." she noted...

I know sss...something that would set me up just fine, pet...Spike whispered internally...

Developing a lisp, brother?...William smiled internally...

"He's just trying to keep his edge with the serpentine thing...It's rough on him, no more

wowing the ladies with those cutting, cold hunter looks and all..." he smiled

apologetically at Anya...Xander staring...

It's fine...Anya nodded...Nice try, Spike...Very Garden of Eden...

Anya is so kind, isn't she...Brother...? William grinned within...

$%%*# kind Anya...!

"I think we can give William the benefit of the doubt for now, Xander..." Giles noted...

Well...Xander sighed and waved his hands...Why not?...

God knows I've seen everything else in this "side career" of mine...he

thought...

"I understand congratulations are in order, Harris..." William grinned at

him...

World-saving by love alone...Not too shabby, I would say...

"Willow just needed to remember who she was..." he replied quietly...

"Only one person could have made her remember..." William pointed out...

Hey!...Spike called from below...World-saving demon here, you know...Remember

how I saved the world from Angelis?...

Buffy saved the world from Angelis, Spike...William hissed...You decided not to

help him..

But it was the right thing to do...throwing a bone...

"Spike...er, Will..." Xander began...

"Understand...I'm glad for you, if this is true...I respect what you tried to

do for Buffy and Dawn last summer...I'm even willing to concede that you

helped her this past year...You were there for her in ways the rest of we

couldn't be..."

Damned straight there, Xan...Spike growled within...Listen to our ole pal,

bro...

Lets remember who was running the show back then, though...

Our "ole pal"?...William thought...

"But...Buffy is my only concern here...And I'll do whatever it takes to

protect her..." Xander went on...

"Meaning...I'll destroy you if you hurt her...Soul or no soul..."

Anya?...Spike let out a leetle call...

"He won't hurt you, Spike...Unless you hurt Buffy..." Anya

replied...Breaking into the conversation...

Xander and Giles looked at her...

Spike's a little nervous, William explained...

Hey!...Just thinking of our girl here...Spike hastily called within...

She needs us...Intact...

Hmm-hmmn...William returned...Well, don't worry...Anya will protect us from

our "ole pal"...

Xander frowned at Anya...Leetle hard to take, her with a direct line to

Spike...

He brushed it off and eyed William...

"On the other hand...I know she loves you...And I know about Cicely

Addams..."

Oh...Not everything about Cicely...Anya thought...

Wife?...Holy!...

Well...Spike groused to her from within...So, tell everyone...he internally

sneered...Summers is our property, our chattel...

Hands off...I stake our claim...God knows poof boy here will never...Hey!...

William crushed him down...Eyeing Anya...Not yet, his look saying...

Oh...Why do I have to be the one to hear Spike?...she thought,

fidgetting...Hurry up Xander, so you can drag this one out of me when we're

alone...

Wife...? My God and she made the wish that...

"And I want her to have the happiness she deserves..." Xander continued...

He sighed...So...

I'll give you a chance, for her sake...Hope for the best...

"But I will be watching you..."

"You're a good brother, Harris..." William grinned at him...

You remind me of an old friend I once had...Cicely's cousin Henry Foxcroft...

He introduced Cicely and me in 1880...Helped me and us out many a time...And,

I'm sure, looked after her...When...Well...

Oh...Anya was getting dizzy from the repression...A good and concerned husband

too, after all these years of suffering...Oh...

She sat down, apologetically...

A little tired after the long night she explained to Giles...

"I mean...I'm glad to know Buffy has someone like that..." William

concluded...

Xander looked at him and nodded...

"Speaking of Cicely Addams..." Giles waded back in...

"We need to learn more about her...And why Buffy is having these flashes of

past-life experience now...?"

Well?...Anya spoke up...Isn't it obvious?...What with...she paused, Xander

frowning slightly at her...Giles eyeing her...

Ummn...

Oh, God...That one too...Oh...

Thank God Giles and Xander know about that...

Whaat?...Spike asked, innocently as Spike could...

Whoops...Stop thinking so loud Anya, she thought...

"What with William getting his soul back, her resurrection, all that..." she

went on to the group...

"It's bound to shake a few memories loose..." she noted...

Did you catch that?...William noted within to Spike...

Catch what?...the demon groused...

Not all that sharp without full access to brain and externals, are

you?...William noted to himself

Hey!...

Anya was going to spill something...William explained to his "brother"...

Oh...You think so...? Spike sneered...

Sharp as a sledgehammer aren't you, brother...You stupid poof, of course she

was gonna spill something...And I could of gotten it out of her in ...

Oh, damn...#$%^&$ing! Damn!...Spike internally hollered...

What?...William questioned...himself...

Angel...He must be back...Or coming...

What?...Angel?...No...It couldn't be...

"Will?..." Giles looked at him...

"Hmmn...? Oh, sorry, Rupert..."William came to with a start...

"Spike has to get his little comments in...Demands an attentive

audience..."

"I was asking about how well you knew Cicely...In your previous life..."

Giles explained...

Ah...Well...William paused...

"Say..." he hesitated...

"Any word from ole Angel these days?..."

"Christ-imitiating twit..." both brothers chorused internally...

On this subject the "brothers" Walthrop were in perfect agreement...

How well did I know Cicely Addams?...William thought...Eyeing Giles...

Angel threat not imminent, according to the Watcher...thank God...

How well?...

Preety well...both "brothers" mentally chorused...

Anya eyed him...

Hell, she's gonna blow any minute...Spike noted within...

And if you start telling secrets, maybe she...

"Ummn...As to Cicely..." William began...

Even he enjoying the look on Xander's face as he went on...

Holy!...A stunned Xander repeated...

For the fifteenth time, Anya noted as they walked to his car...

It can't be...It can't...he insisted...For the fourteenth time...

"It's gotta be a lie...It can't be..."

Fifteenth time, Anya noted patiently...

"Well...It could be a lie...Or William could just be confused..." she

kindly replied, supportive hopefully soon-to-be-spouse-at-last that she was...

But...Holy!...

Sixteenth on that one...

"It's true..." Xander sighed, giving up...

"They're...Married..."

Well...Anya pointed out...A marriage between Cicely Addams and William Soames Walthrop in 1880 doesn't necessarily apply to Buffy Anne Summers in 2002...Even if we take the reincarnation thing into account...

And we can't be sure what Buffy's feelings for him are yet...

Meanwhile, at the Summers home...

Dawn watched in shock...As Buffy danced around the room to music...Carefully,

considering...Grabbing her occasionally for a spin...

(Suggested Theme...Heatwave...)

"Whenever I'm with him

Something inside

Starts to burnin'

And I'm filled with desire

Could it be a devil in me

Or is this the way love's supposed to be

Just like a heatwave

Burning in my heart

Can't keep from cryin'

It's tearing me apart

Whenever he calls my name

So slow, sweet and plain

I feel, yeah, yeah, I feel that burning flame

Has the hot blood pressure got a hold on me?

Or is this the way love's supposed to be?

Just like a heatwave

Burning in my heart

Can't keep from cryin'

It's tearing me apart

Sometimes I stare in space

Tears all over my face

I can't explain it, don't understand it I 'ain't never felt like this before

Now that funny feeling has me amazed

I don't know what to do, my head's in a haze

Just like a heatwave

Burning in my heart

Can't keep from cryin' It's tearing me apart

(Chorus)

Don't pass up this chance

This time it's a true romance

Heatwave"

Buffy crashed into the coffee table...Whoops...She eyed Dawn apologetically...

Sorry...

Oh...God...Dawn stared blankly...

I had to let him into the house...I had to have Clem get those damned bags...

Oh my God...

Still...Looking at her sheepish sis' beaming face...

She's happy...

But...Oh, my God...Not that I don't like Will...Even Spike in a way...Just...

Oh...my...God...

Romance Palace...Part XII...

She'll lead you down a path

There'll be tenderness in the air...

Part XII...

Dawn managed to get Buffy to bed a half-hour later, pleading school

tomorrow...Little sis needs her rest...

No more dancing, please...

Only to hear her talking excitedly on her bedroom phone to Willow, when she

crept down the hallway to check on Buffy a little later...Geesch, what a kid...

Must be the hormones...Say...?

Why the hell is she talking to Willow?...She knows I know...

What, am I five years old?...Some "sharing her life" this is...

Geesch...she groused as she crept back to bed...

The world moves too fast these days...Xander sighed...As he drove Anya to the

shop the next morning...

She could teleport of course but pass up a "humanish" drive to work with

Xander?...No way...

Besides...They had lots to talk about...Following their daily review of plans

in "Campaign Anya-Restoration"...And Xander preferred not to have her suspend

time in their apartment while they had breakfast...

Hmm-hmmn, Anya agreed...But if you won't let me suspend time...

"I just mean...Things are moving so fast...Us, Buffy and her...gulp...baby...,

"William", the "when and what do we tell Willow about Warren?" thing, all of

it..." he paused...

It's just all piling up at once...

"But it's a happy pile, mostly..." she pointed out..."Or at least it will be

when it's all sorted out...It's not like last year...When we didn't know what

to do, where we were going..."

He eyed her...

"Everything's different..." she explained..."We have goals now...Good

ones...You and me, straighten things out with D'Hoffryn, help Willow

recover...Buffy...Get back to college, care for Dawn, work things out with

human-souled William, her Cicely side, and the baby..."

William...Get settled, deal with his or Spike's past, help Buffy and...

Enough already...Xander groaned...But smiled...

"You're right though, everything is different..."

"And I didn't say...Easier..." Anya smiled back... "Just different...Tough,

maybe...But there's light ahead now...And that makes all the difference..."

"Vive la difference!..." Xander grinned, nodding...

But he hesitated...Not light for all of us...

"But Willow is getting better every day..." Anya noted..."She's got her parents

and family by her again...And us...And she's gonna be fine..."

Now...Anya paused, sensing her opening...Speaking of William getting settled...

To her surprise, Xander was prepared...

Give "William" a job...At the Box?...Hell, why not...

He'd be there all day anyway...

At least this way they could keep an eye on him...

And Buffy would love it...

But...He eyed her...

We sit on our offer until Giles confirms things this morning...And...

He joins a union...There's one for clerical workers...

Unions are the bedrock of the workingman's rights, you know...he noted...

Geesch...Anya frowned...

Wasn't like I wasn't gonna pay him minimum wage at least...she thought...

On the other hand, if we vengeance demons had a union...I could probably force

D'Hoffryn to let me go right now...

Hmmn...Maybe I need to speak with my "sister" demons about organizing for our

rights...We wanted to get more 1880 details out of Halfreck anyway...

"Say, honey...I've got an id..."

Holy?...Xander stared at the Magic Box door as he pulled in...

A sheepish Buffy standing on the steps...

Hi guys...she waved...

I didn't want to wake William if he was still sleeping, she explained

embarassedly...As the three entered...

Just wanted to make him feel...At home...

First day back and all...she went on, nervously...

"You should be sleeping in, Buffy..." Xander stared at her...

"Oh...I'm fine...Couldn't sleep any more this morning after I got Dawn off..."

Brought breakfast...she waved a bag of bagels...

And a little more...You know, "supplemental nutrient"...she nodded at a box at

her feet...

Where'd she get blood at 7:00 am?...Xander wondered...

"You've got a fridge in the basement, right?..." she asked Anya...

Hmm-hmmn...

Guess you'd better take your soda out of it first, honey...Anya whispered to

Xander as Buffy peered around the shop and eyed the door to the basement...

Hey, Giles...Willow grinned at the Watcher as he picked her up at her

parents'...

"Quite a day, yesterday,huh?..."

I mean William and Spike and all...

Giles nodded, waving at Mrs. Rosenberg...

"Got my fingers...And toes crossed...For William..." Willow smiled as she

buckled up...

God, this would be so great...Ummn...she eyed Giles...Well...

"So potentially...Nice...For Buffy..."

Especially right now...

"I can't say as I completely see the "great" there..." Giles began, but

smiled...

"But yes, it would be nice...Potentially...For her..."

Though...Will faces a difficult time, if all this is true...he noted...

Willow stared at the dash...Hmmn...

"You don't mean he's got to atone for all the stuff Spike did?...Get all

Angelly?..."

Poor guy's been trapped with that little maniac for a century plus, Giles...If

he wasn't lying to us...

Are you saying he's got to go off and earn redemption now...?

God, no...Giles shook his head...

"Will can't be held responsible for Spike's actions...Although there will be

those who claim otherwise, likely including some of his victims' relations...If

any survive...And possibly the Council or at least some members...Though there

is a set policy of absolution towards the rare demonic creature who recovers a

soul..."

So...Willow eyed him...The Angel thing is not an absolute for absolution?...

Giles rolled his eyes, watching the road...Angel...

"I respect Angel's efforts...But frankly Willow, I find it difficult to see why

he should have found it so impossible to stay near Buffy...Even if it took

years to obtain a solution to the problem of the curse..."

"I was kinda wondering why he didn't come after Buf's resurrection...At least

until we found out about him and Darla...And Connor..."

Yes...Giles frowned at the road...Darla...Well...

If she is his actual true love, all's for the best then...he noted...Still...

"That boy likes playing hero...Solo...And I think we would find there is a good

reason as to why he feels he must atone..."

Willow glanced at the clearly angry Watcher...

Guess somebody hasn't forgotten poor Ms. Calendar...she thought sadly...Poor

Giles...

I know what that's like...

"But...The remorse is inevitable..." he sighed... "And William is obviously a

good and decent man...I spoke to him last night at the shop and it's clear he's

already feeling the weight of Spike's crimes..."

He grinned a bit at the windshield...

"My boy Randall was no aberration...that was William we saw that day...And in

flashes all last summer..."

She grinned at him...Why Rupert Giles...

So our Watcher finally has a son as well as a daughter...

Gee...she thought, just a hair sadly...

My poor Xander...He's tried so hard to measure up all these years, but Giles

has never quite...

"Oh, Willow..." Giles shook his head... "He'll be going through a lot of

suffering in the next few months...And he's long ago lost everyone he's ever

cared for...Except..."

Buffy...And Dawn...Willow filled in...

"I meant to include all of us...Including you, Willow..." Giles smiled at her a

second...

Still...He must be a strong lad to have endured so much...And with our help, he

can build a place for himself here...

Here?...Willow thought...Well...I suppose so...And he is the fath...Gulp...

"He can be a great help to Buffy...Especially now...And..." Giles glanced at

Willow...

Later...

Holy!...she looked at Giles...Not son!...He's looking at Will as

potential...Buffy spouse material..?

Son-in-law...? she thought in astonishment...

"And...There's something else involved here, Willow...Which I think you should

know..." Giles began as he turned into Main Street...Pulling into a spot

outside the shop...

Giles?...Willow stared at him...

"Buffy may have known William before..."

Before?...she asked, brightly...

Back in Chicago?...Did Spike show up back then?...

Long before, Willow...Giles eyed her...

Unwilling to risk waking poor Will from his well-earned rest, Buffy had paced

the shop...Anya eyeing Xander as he eyed her...

This is bad...his look said...

Thank God I decided to take the day and see how Giles' tests go...And press him

on "Campaign Anya"...

"He looked better last night after I got him that ointment..." Anya called over

to the pacing Buffy...Who'd halted to stare at the basement door yet again...

Really?...Buffy looked at her...

Anything would've looked better...After seeing how bad the wounds really

were...Anya did not say...God, what did he fight over there?...

Geesch...Hope D'Hoffryn doesn't make me take him on for my restoration...she

thought...Not that it wouldn't be worth it...she eyed Xander...Just...

Ouch...

Much better...she nodded to the Slayer...

"Say..." Anya paused...Hoping to halt Buffy in her efforts to wear away the

shop floor...

"Xander and I had a great idea...About Will..." she began...

Uh-huh...Anya nodded...As Buffy continued...

See...I owe Giles...A lot...Buffy was explaining to Anya...

'Bout time I nailed priorities down and got to 'em...

Giles and Willow entered...To find Xander watching Anya and Buffy...

You're not gonna believe this one...his look to them said...

Uh-huh...Anya repeated, nodding at Buffy...

"Hey guys..." she waved to Giles and Willow...

Well on the one hand, she thought, eyeing Buffy's hopeful face...Buffy and

William...Working together...So cute to watch them every day...It'd be like

that movie...Only..."The Little Magic Shop Around the Corner"...

"Plus I could use a little extra cash and maybe a...flexible...job schedule..."

Buffy continued her pitch..."If things work out for my readmission to

UCal-Sunnydale in January..."

Uh-huh...Hmmn...On the other hand...She was not the most reliable and steadfast

of employees last November...

Plus they both have a tendency to attract large, violent,

insurance-rate-raising creatures...Not their fault, really, just the way things

work...

I know things didn't work out well last November, Buffy paused...

"Is she asking for what I think she's asking for?..." Willow hissed to

Xander...Sliding into a chair next to him...

He rolled his eyes...Giles eyed the basement door...But said nothing and went

to get his test materials...

"Xander?..." Willow eyed him slyly, whispering... "You gave William a job,

didn't you?..." Grinning...

He eyed her...

"It's not set yet...We haven't spoken to him..."

"You crazy romantic..." she poked him...He waved his hands but gave a wry grin

back...

An's idea...he nodded at his demon betrothed...I just caved...

I guess...Buffy needs it even more than he does...he sighed...

"God, Will...I hope this is the right thing to do..."

God why did we ever fuse the two Xanders back together?...Willow thought, a bit

sadly as she patted him...The world needs at least two...

And I could sure use one these days...

Oh, Anya sighed to herself, staring at Buffy...Look at that face...And Buffy

should be where we can keep an eye on her at least part of the day, now...

After all, it's the real reason Giles is staying on...

And William needs her...His reason for going on...

"But..." Buffy continued, a little nervous, a lot riding on this one..."I was

still upset then...Couldn't focus well after my resurrection and all...And..."

she hesitated, sheepishly...

Hmmn...Well, I guess we can deal with the occasional Cicely fit...And the

need for multiple rest breaks...Anya thought, sighing a little...Oh, I am just

a fool for love...she noted to herself...Like my sweet honey, she eyed

Xander...

Hmmn...I can be good and let him sit and talk to poor Willow alone for exactly

two more minutes...she noted to herself...

"...William needs...Someone to watch out for him...While he readjusts..." Buffy

concluded...

Well...She was a good salesperson, after all...When she actually

worked...Briefly...Anya pondered...Plus, having the Slayer and William the

Bloody, even human-souled, working here is bound to attract attention among

the magically-inclined...A real draw...

"Well, Buffy...If Giles says we can manage it for the two of you

financially...It's ok by me..." Anya smiled...

So long as they don't start fighting each other to the death again...

Hmmn...she eyed Xander and Willow again...Time's up...And I have an opening...

"Guess what?..." she popped into the empty chair next to Xander and

Willow...Both jumping...

An?...Xander frowned...

Sorr-y...But guess what?...Buffy and William are gonna be working here...she

smiled at Willow...

Buffy had gone over to ask Giles about the tests for William...And his opinion

on her job application...

You've a kind heart, partner...he thought, smiling over at Anya...Who, looking

back, shrugged and waved her hands...So I won't be a millionaireness by

thirty...

I really must find a way back for her...he sighed to himself...Looking at

Xander now...

Who was now coming over...To inquire on "Campaign Anya"...It having been at

least fifteen minutes since he'd last asked...

"These tests won't...Hurt? Will they?..." Buffy paused...

He's been hurt a lot this year...she explained...

Mostly by me...she did not say...

He'd be hurt a lot more if your condition were a result of Spike's last pass at

you...Xander thought as he reached them in time to hear Buffy's last...

Willow looked at Xander...Xander at Anya...Anya at...William...All three

struggling to keep a straight face...

Buffy firmly planted right in front of him, fussing over...The Randy suit...

Only thing he had left from the old days still fit to wear in lighting

approaching sunlight, during business hours...Fortunately having escaped Riley

and Buffy's little hand grenade party at Spike's old place by being left at the shop...

Giles however, burst into prolonged laugher at the sight...

Hey!...Spike groused within...No need to act as if we don't have feelings...

Much to everyone's surprise, William joined in, head in his hands...While Buffy

turned and a slight, but definite glare came into her look...

Whoa...Xander thought...

Cicely's home to defend the hubs...

"You look fine, Will..." she returned to the chuckling William...Who put up a

hand...

"I look...Like a ridiculous caricature of my old self..." he grinned at

her..."Except for the blonde hair..."

"But I appreciate the kind support..." he smiled at her...

She nodded, smiling back...

Long overdue, Cicely-Buffy!...Spike bellowed within...High time you tended to

your wifely duties, there girl...

What the hell happened in 1880?...Anya wondered...This is not a woman who

scorned her ridiculous lover...

And I oughta know...

"No offense intended, my dear girl..." Giles smiled at Buffy...

"Very Randall, William..." he grinned at him...And went to get the last

implements...

Oh...Rats...Anya turned to Xander...Incoming message from the boss...

"I've got to go...It's my one chance for an audience today..."

Good luck, boys...she called to William...

"Ask him, Xander, please?...If I can't get back for a while..." she blew a kiss

to Xander and vanished...

Anya's trying D'Hoffryn again...Xander explained...

If she keeps pointing out she'll never allow a violent wish to go through,

maybe he'll see reason...And let her go...

"For whatever crazy reason, she still thinks he's basically a good guy...From

the demonic pov..."

Well...Giles nodded at him...We'll find a way in time...

"It will work out, Xander...This is gonna be a good year for us..." Buffy

grinned at him...

I just know it...she smiled at William...

She looks radiant...

Spike?...William mentally asked...himself...

Rather an unusual choice of words for his maniac "brother"...

But she does look...Jesus...

Oooh...Taking Angel's true name in vain, brother?...Spike grinned within...

So...You finally caught on...

It can't be...

It is...Spike noted happily within...She's...Preggers...Look at her waist...And

notice the loose clothes...? And the..."Glow"...? he sneered...

My God...

He felt a hand on his shoulder...

"Will?..." Buffy looked at him...He seemed a bit preoccupied...

Hmmn...Oh...

"Giles will be ready to start in ten minutes..." she explained, smiling...

She shyly kissed him...

He stared back at her...In wonder...

Even Spike was speechless at this one...

"I believe in you..." she whispered..."William, I wanted you to know

that...Before..."

She eyed him...A bit dazed...

Buffy...Oh, God...he thought...Cicely...My Cicely...

You remember...She remembers, Spike...he called within...

That was her last letter to us...Before...

Before she married and left us...Spike finished...But there was no anger in his

echoing voice within...

She remembers...Cicely...And...I am a father...At last...the "brothers"

chorused to themselves within...In wonder...

Xander frowned at Buffy...Pushing things...His expression said...

Willow a little worried herself...Maybe pushing things, Buf...Her expression

said...

Probably the hormones got our Cicely's memories to sparking...Plus the news of

our incredible heroic odyssey...Spike suggested within...

Preggers...And it took my hunter skills to ferret out this one, bro...the demon

noted proudly...

Bull...You can sense the little soul's presence...William replied...to

himself...

Well, only barely...And only as of this morning...Spike noted...

Well, he sneered...

Looks like I did it...Bagged yet another Slayer...And in a way no vampire has

ever even considered...

Angel...

Angel...Couldn't cut the mustard...Slayerwise, anyway...C'mon,

bro...Rejoice...I'm willing to give your poof body a little share of the

credit...

Buffy looked back at the others...A determined, but slightly dazed look in her

eyes...

"Tell the Council...I am done with it..." she told Willow firmly...

"We are going away..."

Buffy?...Willow looked at her...

Nice English accent, there...

"Buffy..." William touched her arm gently...

"Ummn..." she blinked...

"Buffy?...What about the Council?..." Willow asked her, nervously...

And what the heck do you mean...Going away?...

The...Council...? Buffy asked...Ummn...

"It's all right..." William patted her hand...

She's just a little out of sorts...he told Willow...

Nothing to get upset about...

"What the hell is with her?..." Xander hissed to the returned Giles...

"More like...Who is with her?...I'd say..." Giles noted...

God...Pregnant...Buffy and I are...Both the "brothers" were still struggling to

deal...Even as William continue to pat her hand...

Unless she hopped in the sack with ole Riley or Xan...Spike pondered

within...Maybe gave the Ripper a turn at last...Hey!...

William crushed him down...Nodding to Xander and Willow...

We'll go slow, folks...No need to freak...his look said...

You suppose where Dawn is "made" from Buffy, we could do her as well?...Spike

questioned...When Buffy's not available, I mean...I'm not suggesting a twoso...

Hey, mate I asked!...As Will slammed him down...

Romance Palace...Part XIII...

"It's not fair..." Halfreck groused to D'Hoffryn...Standing by him in his massive, gloomy

reception hall, surrounded by cold mist drifting in, accompanied by the howls of condemned

and tortured unfaithfuls...

The obstacles put in my way in this one...The amount of follow-up time required...

I deserve a little help...

The demon king sighed...Haly...

Much as I love you...And much as I'd love to have Ms. Summers and her demon essence with

me...

There are rules...Which have to be obeyed...

Without law, anarchy would prevail...The stronger demons would kill and eat the weaker...

All the time, instead of just occasionally...

"I can't exceed the bounds of my authority...Ms. Summers must act voluntarily..."

But...All I'm asking for is a little hate spell...I'd even settle for strong feelings of

caution towards William on her part...Is that exceeding your authority?...

Voluntarily, Haly...And you have the ability to lead her into making that choice...Just as

you did in 1880...

"They're together again...How am I gonna separate them now?...And Spike..." she paused, sighing...

Spike doesn't...Care...she bowed her head sadly...

Even he's in love with that Cicely/Buffy...

Haly...D'Hoffryn came over and lifted her chin...

Where's my kick=ass vengeance demon?...The one who got a Slayer to send her own husband to his

death?...

You handled it beautifully then...You'll handle it now...

And you know, win or lose...I'll always love my demons...

"As for Spike...Well...If he can't see what he's passing up when you drive William out...

It's his loss..."

"Hey..." Anya popped into the reception hall...

Halfreck clammed up and backed away, eyeing her "sister" demon...

You didn't tell me she was coming this morning...? Her look at the slightly sheepish D'Hoffryn

said...

"Say...D-H...Did you repaint the walls?...It's much brighter in here..." Anya noted...

Hello, Haly...she nodded...

The soul testing session had a dual purpose...

Giles had initially intended it for Buffy's little bundle...To help her reach a decision...

Just luck that it was available for testing William's claims as well...

To Buffy's relief, William felt nothing...

Spike however...

#$%&^!...Who turned the heat off!...It's bloody freezing in here!...the demon groaned...

"Demonstro..." Giles intoned...

Imaginary fires raged about poor Spike...Who screamed in horror...

"You ok?..." Buffy asked William anxiously, noting him grimace a sec...

Xander rolling his eyes at Willow as Buffy took William's hand, stroking it...

Just ole Spike...William smiled at her...Poor fellow's having a rough time in there...

All but the preoccupied Giles eyed him...

"He couldn't help what he was...And he is a part of me..." William explained...

Can't help feeling a little sympathy for the poor maniac sot...

"Tell him..." Buffy paused... "I know he loves me...And I am grateful to him...For not

being quite an Angelis...For taking you both to Africa..."

And for keeping you around...Until we could meet...

Willow eyed her...

"Spike knew William was there..." she explained... "He could have gone and found a way

to drive him out for good..."

Damn right there!...Spike hollered as the flames backed him up against an imaginary

corner...God, if I had had half a brain then...

The things I do for Buffy (Cicely Addams) Summers!...

Which are appreciated, brother...William called to him generously...

You heard her...

$#%^&!...Kiss m...

Spike!...William hollered to himself...

No...Spike called...

Kiss me...Tell her...If she's really...#$%#^!...the flames lept up around him...

If she's really grateful...Kiss me...Me...

"Spike..." William paused...Eyeing Buffy...Who stared back...

Spike wants a kiss...If you wouldn't mind...

For him...

He's taking quite a beating in here...

"Sure..." Buffy nodded...

Thank you, Spike...I know you tried...she kissed William gently...

"I hope you find happiness...Or whatever nonharmful-to-others contentment a demon

can win in Eternity..."

Quite a girl we married in 1880...eh, brother...William smiled within...

Yeah...Spike replied quietly...!#$#! Could you tell the Ripper to can the flames?...

He must have what he needs to know by now for Christ's sake!...

"Rupert?..." William eyed him...

"Tell Spike it's just about over..." the Watcher nodded...

And...Congratulations...William...

Buffy hugged him...Willow came over and shyly kissed him...Xander came over...

William hugged him...Winking at the others...

Spike is a part of me, remember ole pal...he grinned at Xander...And releasing him, shook

hands...

Same old Spike...Xander frowned...Oh, well...At least he'll still be able to fight with

her...

"...So keep an eye on me..." William concluded...Looking at Xander firmly...

Brother...

In-law, Willow thought...Grinning at Xander...

And Xander finally has his older brother...

Oh...God...If my Tara could just walk through that door now...This would be Heaven, no doubt about it...

Tell her...Spike mumbled...

What?...Never thought I'd have to ask you to speak up, brother...William called within...

Tell her...Trapped in this bloody hell of a place...Long as you manage not to get your sorry ass

kicked in...

With her around...

Is all the Heaven I want...

Even if I have to share her with you, poof-boy...

"Spike says...Thanks...And he's very content right now..." William smiled at her...

Hey!...Exact quotes, poof...

He kindly repeated the "exact passage"...Buffy nodding...

Spike...? she whispered in Will's ear...

If you ever make William call himself "poof-boy" again...

I will have Giles leave those flames on inside...Permanently...

Get me...?

Phone call...For Buffy, who handed it to William with a shrug...

Dawny...For you...I told her it was ok...Long as she doesn't take a ridiculously

long break...

He took the phone and the babbling of an eager Dawn could be heard as he

tried to respond to her stream of questions and comments

"Ummn...?" she turned to Giles, moving off from where the others were excitedly talking...

My baby...No flames and nasties for it, right?...I wouldn't want that even for a hideous

demon offspring...

Now off the phone, William showed equal apprehension watching Buffy slip off with Giles

...Natch, Willow thought...

Giles having told her that William knew...Courtesy of Spike...Having quizzed the

Ripper on the ceremony when Buffy was kindly rearranging his sleeping quarters in the basement with a few little items from the house...

Much gentler version for it, Giles had assured them each in turn...And set to work...

Buffy slipping into his office with him for a few moments' "discussion" while he performed the spell...

Ok...His look said to the others as they emerged...

Buffy's desperate attempt to cover her beaming joy preety much said it all anyway...

Quite a moment...Willow thought looking at William who did his best to conceal his joy...

Really shoulda brought a camera this morning...she noted to herself...

"Another round!..." Xander called to the waitress...Having insisted on taking his betrothed's

new employees and family out to dinner...

Hell, a day like this does not come by often...

Buffy's baby fully souled and human...Though Giles had steadfastly refused to determine the

sex...And Buffy remained determined to keep its existence a secret...

(Will for his part insisting Willow, Anya, and Giles go along, keeping mum...)

And William...Where he wanted to be...As he put it when Buffy in a slightly sad mood had asked

him if he regretted losing Heaven...

Like Spike tried to say...Heaven's where you make it...he'd noted...

And Eternity...Can wait...

The only thing missing...Oddly enough the thought of four present...Spike, William, Xander,

Giles...And well, to be honest, Buffy would have to admit to making it five...

Angel...

To share their joy...

And rub his Christ-like puss in it...

William flanked by beaming Buffy and Dawn on opposing sides...Giles between Willow and his

Buffy...

Anya happily between Xander and Willow...

One minor fly in the otherwise estatically happy ointment tonight...No go as yet with

D'Hoffryn...

But she had learned that dear Haly seemed to be in regular touch with the demon king...

And maybe info could be gleaned from that source...Both for her and for Buffy...

However...William had asked them to hold on giving Buffy the Cicely story for a bit just

yet...

He'd like to break it to her himself when he felt she was ready to accept it...

Besides a once-over by a competent neurologist as well as a complete medical could never hurt

after a full resurrection...

Pity they hadn't made her go before...he thought...

"You know...It's a shame about Warren..." Willow paused...

This being a evening to forgive and forget...

They all stared at her...

What?...She blinked at them...

"Warren?..." Xander asked... "What about Warren?..." he hesitated, eyeing Giles...

"Just mean...He has such a brilliant mind and all..." Willow looked at him and slowly

at the others who tried to look...Causal...Warren you say? Oh yeah, him...

Dawn stared at her...Eyeing her sis...Cautiously...

Whoa...Look at them...Red must really have "dealt" with ole Mearsy...Spike noted within...

Damn...No more girly bots...

What?...William asked...himself...

Dawn looked at him for comfort...He eyed her sympathetically...

Willow's strong, Nibs...Don't worry...his look said...

I mean for when Buffy croaks Spike went on within...You know she'd never let me transform her now...

And we'll be alone...Eternally...

I don't want a mannequin companion for all Eternity, Spike...William noted to him...As he nodded

at Dawn...

Besides when the time com...he began, returning to his "brother" within...

Red or the Ripper could've stuffed Summers' soul into the bot...Spike groused on...Even the little

Scoobies'ld have approved...Their Slayer around to protect their grandkiddies forever...

Nonsense, when the time comes she'll stake us before she goes...Or I will...William replied...

You'd do that...To me...All I've done for you and...

Do it right now if I didn't think Buffy would mind...By the way, "all you've done for me?"...You

demented maniac!...

I gave you everything, you poof...The fighting skills...That certain style, that cool stare...That

"I'm gonna rip your throat open and I'm not just saying that" air...Hell, even the blonde was my idea...

Thanks to you, I'm responsible for 40,000 plus deaths!...Not to mention the torturing sessions...

God, the torturing...Lord, how I miss the good old days...Haven't had a moment like that since I had

sweet Dru in chains...Unless I count watching myself in the mirror at Glory's and pretending it was

you, poof-boy...And that I was helping her...

Willow shook her head at them a little...Geesch...Don't mean to praise the guy she explained...

Just...He was quite a science whiz, not bad at the magics either...It just seems a shame for all

that genius to be thrown away on...

"Hey, fellow geek here...Can't help expressing a little Robert Downey Jr. sympathy for

wasted talent, you know..." she sighed...

Yeah...A real shame...Buffy and Dawn chorused qently...Xander frowning a little...

"Are we still going after him?...About the murder thing?..." Willow asked...

She'd been a little out of the loop recently what with her gradual recovery after Tara...And all...

Well...Buffy eyed Xander...

"I think there's not much we can do while he's in Mexico with his pals, Wil..." Xander replied...Looking to

Giles who nodded...

But we've sent info to the police to have them look into his role in Katrina's death...And if he ever shows...

They'll deal...

Hmmn...Willow nodded...Well, still...A shame...

"And you did like Jonathan..." she looked at Buffy...

Well...He kept the others from helping...Big Baddy...Buffy noted hastily...

So he wasn't all bad...Maybe someday...He'll grow up and do the rest of the right thing...

"Sis never gives up on anyone with the slightest chance..." Dawn grinned...Eyeing William who grinned wryly

back...

"Yeah..." Willow smiled at William...

"But as to this "Big Baddy"?...The one who...Ummn...You know...Tara and all..."

He's dead...Gone, Wil...Lets forget him...Buffy hastily put in...

"Lets not let another forgettable creepy ruin a good...A great...evening..."

Willow nodded...Long as he's really gone...

William eyed her...

Not the best way to handle this, Buffy...His look said...

Please William...her look said...

Save the forthright Victorian attitude for another day...

My God, thought Anya...Watching the interplay...

They're already exchanging significant looks that express more than words can say...

They really must have been a couple...Married...Back then...

"So...?" Dawn eyed William... "Spike having a good time in there?..."

Romance Palace...Part XIV...

She'll let you come just far enough

So you know she's really there

Part XIV...

"It'll be fine..." Willow noted...

Absolutely fine...

Dawn eyed her...

"Dawny, they've gone on Patrol lots of times together..."

It'll be...Fine...

"Did you see how she acted?...Willow...?" Dawn groused...

"Ummn...?" she mimicked her sis... "William?..."

"I'm going on Patrol in a few minutes..."

"And I was...Wondering..." Dawn sarcastically batted her eyes...

"If...Maybe..."

She was laying it on a leetle thick, Willow had to agree...

"This is no ordinary Patrol..." Dawn noted, frowning...

This is...Date Night...

First (real) Date Night...

"Well...Is that so bad?..." Willow looked at her...

"You want Buffy with another vampire?..." Dawn stared at her...

"I thought you liked William...?" Willow eyed her...And he is certified human-souled...

"I like him...But..."

What if he gets the Angels...? Decides to go do the redemption thing...?

And he's an immortal blood-feeding creature, limited to night-hours...How's he gonna support her and the...gulp...Baby?...

Geesch...Dawny...This is the 21st century, you know...Willow thought...

Blood banks, transfusions readily available...Heck artificial blood well on its way...

And as for "supporting" her...Just being home all day to mind the kiddies for her would be a major plus in his favor...And if his Victorian nature even makes him try to help out financially, she's got a better man than many...

"They'll get by...If things work out that way..."

And, given that they're already married...And may have been seeking each other for a century...she thought...

"Well...He was very concerned about her visions or whatever..." Dawn conceded...

Aw...I do like him Willow...I'm just...

Scared...For her...

"Buffy Summers can deal, Dawn..." Willow grinned at her...

With anything...

Even with her Victorian lover...

"Geesch...She doesn't even know his name..." Dawn noted...

Oh...Willow thought...

I wouldn't be too sure of that...

She's shared it for 100 plus years...

Lord...When I think how I tried to push her with Angel...

Thank God Cicely was in there, fighting for William all the time...

But, hell, why did she send him away...? Unless that Halfreck was lying...Which Anya told Giles was entirely possible...

Gotta get over to Xander's and see what they've found out...

"I'm so glad you took the job, William..." Buffy noted shyly...While ramming a stake through the entrails of a large horned demon...

I mean...It's only the start of bigger and better things, I'm sure...What with your writing and education and all...

She glared fiercely at two other demons who'd been making ready to charge at William...

They eyed each other...Geesch...The stories are true...

The Slayer and William the Bloody...And she's not just tolerating him, she's actually...Protecting him...

By the demon god Ba'al...Who would've believed it?...

Hey...The shorter one nudged his partner...

I think...She's pregnant...

Holy sacred Ba'al!...Joe, you're right!...the other agreed in shock...

William took up a fighting stance, eyeing her...

How's about letting me have a couple? His look said...

She'd already killed the first half dozen they'd encountered, without giving him one...

Hell, he used to box for Cambridge...He'd noted earlier, after she'd stepped in front to take the fourth in a row...And he still retained Spike's abilities...Plus his bro's occasionally helpful advice...

Though Spike was in a snit and refusing to speak just now, following the last major smackdown...

You went to Cambridge University?...she'd replied, impressed...

But heck, Spike always did have that air of sophistication underlying the bad boy mannerisms...

"Didn't graduate...Had a year to go..." he'd noted ruefully...

Well...still...she'd replied, supportively...

Now however, she decided to back off a bit...She was getting a bit pooped...No need to take foolish risks with little Joycee or Will Jr...

And Will was so eager to show he still had it...

The two demons awaited their fate...Not so much out of courage or blood-lust...

Kinda more...Hoping to get in a chance to ask ole Spike...

Did you actually get the Slayer...?

Definitely a cause worth dying for...The stool rights alone in any demon bar for the eyewitness story-teller with the spell-confirmable truth would be Eternal...

Meanwhile, at the Magic Box, a battle of wits and wills was engaged...

Anya and Xander versus Halfreck...Who'd decided it was again time to try the partial truth-dropping route...

"So...Cicely summoned you...And you took her place...?" Anya noted...Following Haly's outline of a certain fateful night in 1880 London...

"She was squeamish about facing the poor little fellow..." Halfreck smiled...

But...She was married to him...? Anya quickly countered...

Women make mistakes sometimes when they caught up in the moment...Haly grinned, eyeing Xander...

Big, thoughtless mistakes...

She married in haste...And regretted at leisure...

And it ended up a rather short marriage...Two days, as a matter of fact...

"Actually..." Haly grinned again at Xander...

"Dreamboat here at least had the courtesy to run out before the wedding vows..."

But...Why did Will stay around?...If she'd consented to driving him off?...Anya stared...

"Ah...Poor William...He's always been a fool for love...Besides, don't you people read fairy tales any more?..."

Snow Queen, that sort of thing?...He was trapped by his love for her...Couldn't really believe she'd betrayed him...And spent the past century waiting for her to free him...

"But..." Haly sighed... "She never did...He had to suffer a century before being "helped" accidently...By strangers..."

Only human Drusilla ever provided him any comfort in all that time...

"Human?...Drusilla?..." Xander asked...

Her soul, trapped in the far reaches of limbo...

It came partially back thanks to him...Haly explained...In shame for what had happened to him...And then, because of the kindness and forgiveness he showed her...

A kindness that went a long way towards healing what Angelis had done to her, poor thing...

She was actually able to escape to Rebirth thanks to him...Not as good as fleeing to Heaven, maybe...But, given, demonic Dru's powers and her desire to keep sis confined, not too shabby...

"Drusilla...er human Drusilla...Was reborn?..." Anya looked at her...

Years ago, Haly noted...

Which left poor William all alone again...Watching Spike, trying to drive him to

attack Slayers...

Hoping to either find his Cicely reborn or be released at last...

"But...She never came for him..."

"But..." Anya hesitated...Buffy...

Haly shook her head sadly...

Well...She was reborn at last...But...

Even after the Initiative "helped" him a bit...

And even Spike couldn't help loving her...

She didn't lift a finger to help him...

Even after he was the one there for her all last year...

"I guess..." the "justice" demon sighed...Eyeing the two...

"She just didn't care all that much..."

Not that I would ever judge a client...Haly solemnly noted...

But Slayers do tend to be heartless...Part of their profession, I guess...

William handled Joe and partner in style...Kicking both sharply back...

Aided perhaps by their mutual reluctance to kill him before learning the answer...

Was he, ole Spike...A papa?...A Slayer's...Slayer of the heart?

Unfortunately Spike needed some time to recover even his internal speech abilities after his self-imposed exile...

Much as he deeply desired to tell a few demon mates the glorious news...

William the Bloody had indeed bagged his third...And in a way none had ever before...

Poor Joe was down and at the mercy of William's borrowed stake...His partner down as well, gasping for breath...

Buffy ran up...

C'mon Will...she called...Time's awasting...Demons to kill...Vamps to stake...

Ummn...William looked at poor Joe...Holding the stake to his throat...

Here we go again...Spike groused...

Buffy eyed him...Will?...She rolled her hands...

You gotta push it in...Remember...?

She went over to Joe's buddy, still gasping on the ground...Bit out of shape that one, Spike noted within...

Will?...she called...

Poof-boy hates killing...Except in self-defense...Spike growled within...

She dealt with the other demon and came over...

William eyed her...And pulled the stake back...

"Get out of here...If I find you harming anyone, I will kill you..." he told poor Joe...Now rather broken up over the departure of his buddy...

Buffy stared at him...And the fleeing Joe...

What the hell...?

"He wasn't harming anyone...We attacked him..." William noted...

"He would have harmed someone...He will now..." Buffy replied...Staring after Joe...

Great...Just great...Spike fumed within...

We just dropped 100 points with her...After coming within a hair's-breadth of her pants...

And I didn't even get a chance to tell the other guy that the Slayer's been made a woman at last...By the "Doctor" himself...

Naturally the twit exs don't count...After all, they couldn't cut it...

"What the hell were you trying to do, Will?..." Buffy glared at him...

Slayer preempting First Date Buffy...

Get us killed?...

"We weren't in any danger...That one was harmless..."

To us...She noted...

Not to your average Sunnydaler...

"All right, if you want, I'll go hunt him down...Like an animal..."

He is an animal...Buffy replied...

Hey!...Spike hollered within...A little compassion there...

"I meant...Me..." William glared back...

Buffy stared, speechless...

Wow...A romantic poet's compassion...she thought...Eyeing him sideways...

My romantic poet...

Of course, thank goodness he actually could've killed both of them if he'd wanted to...

He sighed at her as they walked along...In silence...

First date not quite rolling along as well as she'd hoped...

"You're disappointed in me?..." he hesitated...

No...She looked at him...

I mean...I can understand you're not wanting to kill the way Spike did...

"Guess I wasn't thinking back there..." she ruefully noted...

I'd forgotten what you've been through...

"I just...I can't see the point of blindly killing these creatures...Dragging ourselves to their level..."

So they won't blindly kill us or our loved ones...she noted hastily...

Well...

She eyed him sideways...Hmmn...

"Will?...Do you think I kill...Like Spike did?..." she eyed him...

No thought, no compassion...

"I realize you have a job to do Buffy..." he paused...

People who need protection...

"But it's hard for me to accept...Following in Spike's footsteps...Even against demons..."

Pfft!...You! You poof, in my footsteps?...You couldn't fill half my shoe with your whole poof bod...Spike sneered within...

"And what about our...first time for everything, she noted, gulping...Baby?...Would you let..."

Don't be ridiculous...he glared at her...

I'd never let you or the baby be harmed...

Why do you think I'm out here?...

"God knows...After the way you let that last one go..." she groused...

I'm not insensitive you know...I do what I have to do to protect innocent people...

"We don't even know if those demons were human-hunters..." William pointed out...

"Do you want me to stop and ask every rampaging demon or vamp if they kill humans?...And show proof?..." Buffy grumbled...

"I'd last what?...Thirty seconds...?"

Well...We could try to check...That's all I'm saying...William noted...

You could carry a backpack full of the Ripper's reference books, poof-boy...Spike grinned within...

"Just a mo, Buf, dear...Gotta read the chapter on Vorth demons...Hang on there...Don't ruffle the poor lad's fur until I review the case throughly..." he sneered...

Our girl wants a man...Or demon...Of action...Not Percy #$%$ing! Shelley...Spike groused on...

"I happen to think it is important...Even if we lose one or two while we check..." Will frowned...

Caring and compassion matter, Buffy...You know that...

And they apply to our victims as well...

"I don't need lectures on compassion from someone who killed..." she began...

People...he finished...

"I...I didn't mean that, Will...I just..." she finished lamely...

"I guess...We don't really know that much about each other..." he looked at her...

They walked on in silence...

Not the way she'd hoped First Date would work out...

They were returning to the house...

William lost in thought...

Geesch...Buffy thought...

Did not think things would go like this...

Maybe he's right...A little...

I was concerned about losing my compassion...Before I died and other problems

took precedence, she thought...

She tried to smooth things a bit...

"See, Will...You hafta understand..." she began...

What's my name?...he brought her up short...

Huh?...Well...Ummn...William...she looked brightly at him...

Ummn...she continued her bright look...

"You don't know, do you?..." he eyed her...

And do you know why?...You never even bothered to ask...

Never cared enough...Even when we slept together and you and I...meaning me, William...

Almost connected that time...When I almost got through to you...

Hey!...Spike bellowed...Mate, that was my night...

"And you felt me there...Don't deny it..."

Ummn...Well...He did seem very human that time...

That was a nice time...she thought, a little happily...Almost as nice as...

When?...Where?...

"You all right?..." he looked at me...

Hmmn...she tried to look a little extra wan...Wobbily...In need of a Victorian gent's consideration...

And forbearance...

He frowned...Well...? You felt my presence...And still you did nothing...Not a blessed thing...

"You would have left me there...Forever..."

"Well...I..." she stammered...

He stalked off...

"Will...?...Wait!...Will!...Please..." she cried...

"I'm sorry...C'mon!...I was dead, remember...Busy year..." she called...Following after him...

We were enemies...What did you expect...?

He was picking up pace...

Gee, he's still got that those vampiral legs...Buffy noted...Hurrying after...

"Wait...William...You wait!..."

Hmmn...Fake a cramp?...she wondered briefly...Nah...Spike'd probably know right away...

She tripped on a broken branch...He was slipping away...

Again...she staggered up...

Ummn...Oh...My God!...

"Walthrop!..." she screamed...

"Your last name is Walthrop!...William Soames Walthrop!..." she gasped...

How the hell...? she stood with jaw somewhat dropped...

He froze...And turned round...Staring at her...

"What the hell...? Did Willow net search my college records or something?..." he stared at her...

Romance Palace...Part XV...

Part XV...

Willow sat in Xander and Anya's living room...Thoughtfully reviewing Haly's account of her "job" for

Cicely Addams in 1880...

"She can't be giving you the whole truth..." she paused...

Buffy...er Cicely...Couldn't have just turned on William like that...

"He could have done something..." Xander noted...

Halfreck might not be aware of the cause...Maybe he did...Something...

Something terrible...

Like maybe...Another rape...?

Deserving immediate punishment...Then...And now...

Xander?...Anya looked at him...

Haly told us he didn't "do" anything...Cicely decided the marriage was a mistake and let

her drive Will off...

"Buffy would never..." Willow paused...Ummn...

But...Anya nodded...We don't know Cicely...

A wealthy Victorian girl...Courted by a poor poet?...Not often a successful outcome, outside

the romantic novels...she noted...

She married him...Willow pointed out...

Buffy...Well, lets be honest...Loved him...Even when Spike held the upper hand...

Loves him now...she eyed the frowning Xander...C'mon, Xander, you saw her at dinner tonight...

She must have loved him...It doesn't make sense...

"Maybe..." Anya paused... "Maybe she was trying to protect him...If she was the Slayer then..."

After all, if I were a demon being pursued by the Slayer...I'd go after her family...

I mean...she eyed them...Hypothetically...

"There must be records of her...As a Slayer..." Xander suggested...The Council must have something...

We could have Giles try and get them from the Council...

The answer could be there...

Willow nodded...But...

"We should tell Buffy...She needs to face...Cicely..."

"William asked us to wait..." Anya pointed out...He said he'd tell her...At the right time...

Well...Maybe...Willow nodded...Still...

It's wrong to keep this from her too long...She needs to deal with it, especially considering the

visions or memory flashes she's been having...

Anya eyed Xander...Hmmn...

Someone else who needs to deal with the truth in our little group...

"Well...(God, never in my life did I think I'd be saying this)...We can leave it to

Will for now...I'm sure he'll do the right thing..." Xander noted...

The others stared at him...Xander?...

He shrugged...Ok, Will's a good guy...I accept it...

'Course I intend to follow his advice...And keep watching him...

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have let you run like that..." William eyed an out-of-breath Buffy...

No...Problem...

"Mr. Walthrop..." she grinned...

Holy!...she put her hands to her mouth...In shock...

I told him...

Without even thinking it over...

After begging Giles and the guys not to say a word today...

Before a thing is settled between us...

"Ummn...William...What I said a moment ago...About..."

"Protecting our baby?..." he grinned...

I took it as absolutely hypothetical...Naturally...

"Very funny..." she looked down...

Thank God I still can, she thought...In a month...

"How long have you known?..." she asked...

Spike guessed this morning...he smiled...

Bless his little demented heart...

She looked away...And back...

"Are you...Glad?..."

"Buffy Anne..." he paused...

I am so far beyond...Glad...

When Spike made me realize it...And I knew it was true...

And Giles told me it was ok...

"Giles...?" she frowned...Damn, he promised not to say a word...

I told him I knew, William explained...

God...He might have let me know, she groused...

"It makes up for everything, Buffy..." he said simply...

Everything...The whole past miserable #$%ing century...

She looked at him...

"So...You're glad..." she grinned...Looking away...

"I am too..." she smiled into his eyes...

William Soames...

Suggested Theme..."Secret Garden"

Romance Palace...Part XVI...

She'll look at you and smile

And her eyes will say

She's got a secret garden

Now this was more like a First (real) Date, Buffy sighed contentedly...

Sniffing the wild flowers William had picked for her...At some risk, considering the two attack dogs

guarding the field...

And...While she absolutely respected his desire to avoid killing when possible, given his only natural

inclination towards nonviolence after a century trapped with serial killer Spike...She couldn't help

relishing the way he'd sprung to her defense and toasted the two new vamps who'd tried to jump

them just after she'd winded herself chasing him down...

Always knew William could handle himself she thought, drifting a bit while watching him checking

the road ahead...

In spite of all they said...Whatever the family thought, I knew we'd manage...I...

She shook herself...The family?...

He came back to her...

She looks funny...Spike noted...Is she ok?...

"Are you all right, Buffy?..." Will asked her...

Het-hum!...

"Spike's worried, too...Asked about you..." he smiled...

Too?...#$%&ing! "too"?

"I...I've been having these weird...Flashes..." Buffy explained...

Harris is right...A doctor for you tomorrow...he insisted...

But eyed her carefully...Wondering...

What's the #$%ing deal?...Spike groused within...

Tell her...She's the reincarnation of one Cicely...Walthrop, nee Addams...

Born 1855...

And our personal property...Given the status of nineteenth century married human females...

No wonder Dru and Darla preferred the vamp lifestyle...he sneered...

"Yeah...Well, maybe it's not a bad idea..." she looked down the road...

"What...?" William gave a start...

She looked back at him, grinning a little...

Looks like I'm not the only one with concentration problems...

"The doc...Tomorrow...If Xander and Giles can arrange it...It probably wouldn't be a bad idea..."

Ah...He nodded, eyeing her...

Now he was worried...While Spike was approaching freak out...

If Buffy Summers agrees to see a doc...Without protest...

Call an ambulance, you moron!...Spike fretted...

Our girl is at death's door!...It must be a side effect of that bastard Mears' ray gun...

Calm down, Spike...It's got to be her memories...Cicely's...Resurfacing...

You're a good fellow, though, bro...Always knew you had compassion potential...

#$%!...

"Spike is very concerned..." William noted...As am I...

You sure you're all right?...Ummn...

Dear...

Whoa...Poof-boy makes his big move...Spike sneered...

"Dear..." he mimicked...

Gee...Who knows?...Maybe you'll be holding her hand in twenty years...

"Why don't we call it a night?...We both start with Anya tomorrow..." William noted...

Things seem very quiet...he went on...

Dear?...she blinked...Dear...?

"Buffy?..."

Buffy Anne...?

"Cicely" on the tip of his tongue...Cicely my darling, my beloved wife...My one reason for enduring

all these horrible years...

But not yet...

Arrgh!...Spike groaned within...

Still, maybe...Poof-bro has a point...

The Spiked One can appreciate the values of patience in the hunt...Though not to the ridiculous

extremes of the Angelic twit, please...

She blinked at him...

Dear...?

I'm...Dear...?

Ok, ok ...Spike conceded generously, seeing her beaming face...

She liked it...

The "Dear..." works...Keep it in...

"Yeah..Well, I do have Doublemeat duty tomorrow too..." she nodded...

But...This has been really...Nice...

William...

D...Dear...she hesitated...

Dear...she repeated...

Dear...I am...Dear...she thought...Closing her eyes, breathing it in...

Amazing what those Victorians could do with a little word like that...

Dear...

What, no "she's ready, go for it" brother? he teased Spike as they started back...

Urghh...Spike gritted back...

Good imitation teeth-grinding, brother...William noted...to himself...

She's not right...What's with these "flashes"?...And don't let her strain herself...Make sure she sees

the bloody doc...

Why Spike...Will grinned within...

You're a regular Alan Alda...The Fred MacMurray of demonic dads...

Sod off...the demon growled...And make sure she sees the doc...And the Ripper checks out these

flashes...

Might be her demon trying to cut in, you know...

"Will?..." Buffy eyed him...

Spike trying something?...

"He..." William grinned at her...

"Unbelievable as you may find this...He really is very concerned about his Slayer girl...And the

bambino..."

Wants you to see that doctor...And talk to Giles about your visions...

"As do I..." he noted...

Tell him...Buffy grinned...

He's a disgrace to the Angelis pride...

And...I'm ok...Just a little...she waved a hand...You know...

"No...I don't know..." William replied, a little sternly...

"But we're going to find out..."

Hmmn...She paused...

They were nearing her street...

And...Probably not a good idea to suggest a quick dash back to his place...

First (real) date...after all...And the baby...And...

She didn't want to seem too...Forward...First (real) date...

Much as Spike might love it...William might be a little...Nervous...

"Dear" would do...

Oh yeah...For First (real) Date...

"Dear"...Was just fine...

"What are you going to do?..." she continued...

"Back to the shop, get some rest before my first day..."

No...I mean...She hesitated...

The future...

He eyed her...

"Are you...Feeling...Very guilty?...About...Spike and all?..." she looked at him...

"I suppose..." he nodded...And stopped...Looking down the road...

I didn't stop him...he sighed...

"No one could stop their demon..." Buffy noted...Taking his hand...

I couldn't...She looked up at his tired face...

Anne would be quite a challenge...If Spike is right about her...he nodded...

"Anne?..." she stared at him...

Spike's encountered your counterpart...Back in his Hell days...Will explained...

My...Counterpart?...

"A wild lady...So he says..."

So...? she paused...Why didn't he...?

"Kill and transform you when he had the chance...? After you weren't protected by the chip?..."

I'd like to think I had some role in that...Thanks to the chip...And...

Hey!...A little gratitude!...A bellow from below...

"And...(I said "and", bro) He was letting more of me through

Trying to impress his girl with his human side, I think...Will grinned...

"But...He loved you...We loved you...And not even Anne would satisfy..."

She grinned wanly...And kissed him...

"That's for Spike too...Though I don't want him expecting it too often..."

They continued...

"Are you...Going away?..." she paused, reaching the question she'd been moving towards all night...

Am I what?...

Girl...He eyed her...

"Do I look like Christ Jr...?"

She grinned...She knew who he meant...

"Are you out of your resurrected, half-melted mind?...I've got no plans to leave...And I don't intend

to die of remorseful guilt..." he stared at her...

"I don't brood well...Sloppy sentiment is more my style..."

Though I was a poor man...From the working, Hell...the servant class...And there's always been a

practical side to my nature...Even before Spike came along...

He looked away...

"Yes I feel guilt over what Spike did...And I intend to do whatever I can to make amends...But hell,

I was a victim too...And I have a right to seek out a little happiness and..."

He eyed her...

"...A life for myself...And the ones I love..."

"I want to help you...If you'll let me...After all, Cicely...I am..."

He paused...

Even Spike was hesitant...

Cicely?...Buffy looked at him...

Cicely...?

Cicely...Buffy thought darkly...As she reached the front steps of the house...

First date ending on a somewhat stilted moment...

Cicely...He called me...

Cicely...

"Just got..."Confused there" for a second, Buffy..."

She kicked the steps...Each one...

Bloody #$&ing Cicely!...

Who the hell is...Cicely...?

"Dear..."

Dear Cicely he meant!...

God...It must be her...

The one he said rejected him...

That night in the bar when he told me how he killed the other Slayers...And just a little...

Wildly exaggerated little...

About his past...

Of course I knew even then the "Always been bad, baby..." was a load of posturing crap...

Cicely...He's got me confused with some...#$%& Victorian girlfriend...

Dear...I was...Dear...

For one moment...

But it was Cicely's...Dear...

She paused...

On the other hand...

All the last year...All the year before...

He loved me...Me...

"Are you gonna stand out there all night?..." Dawn groused, opening the door...

So...She peered around...

Where's...

"Went...Home..."

Back to the shop, I mean...

Phew...And she didn't go with him...Dawn sighed to herself...

Thank God...

Unless...

Nah, it was only an hour and a half...Sis is too conscientious not to do at least a light Patrol...They

wouldn't have had time to get back to the shop...do...whatever...And get back here...

On the other hand...Geesch...Didn't he even want to stop by...? Wish his date's sis good night...?

Spill a few over a late cocoa...

"How'd it go...?" she tried a causal air...

Fine...Buffy eyed her...

Oh...God...

"Was he mad at you again?..." Dawn groused...

Mad?...At me?...Buffy stared at her...

Well...He was a leetle annoyed earlier...About you're not trying to help him last year...Or the year

before...Dawn explained...

Oh...

Say...Buffy thought...Maybe that's it...

Yeah...He's pissed at me for not showing how much I cared...Trying to free him from Spike...

And he's brought up old galpal Cicely to jerk my chain...

No...

Will isn't the type...

Unless Spike persuaded him...

Besides...Drusilla would make a much more effective chain-jerker...

"Buffy?..."

Hmmn...Dru...Silla...

An involuntary glare crossed her face...

Buffy?...Dawn stared...

May that fiend burn in Hell forever...That murderess...That...

Adulteress...

She blinked...

Adulteress?...

"Ok..." Dawn glared..."I'm calling Giles..."

Oh...

Sorry...

"This one wasn't all a weird out, Dawny...I was thinking of ways to...Help Will out..."

Get him back into the stream of life, you know...

And nobody better than someone who's experienced a little of what he's experienced...Right?...

Dawn glared...

"I'm gonna see the doctor tomorrow or as soon as Giles and Xander can set it up...I promise...And

I promised William too..."

Hmmn...Dawn frowned...

She couldn't contain it any longer...

Even if this "Cicely" had cut in on her...

"Dawn..." Buffy took her hand...

He's not leaving...He wants to stay...

"He called me...Dear..."

Dear?...Dawn stared at her sis' open, joyful face...

Oh...God...

A night of wild sex would have been less dangerous...Hell, she's already pregnant...

Damn these gentle Victorians...

Romance Palace...XVII...

Part XVII...

Well...? Spike groused...As William headed back to the Box...

What?...

What did you do to her, poof?...

What?...To Buffy?...

She was mad...She didn't even ask us in...

It was late Spike, she was exhausted...She kissed us good night...Said she see us tomorrow...

She...Was...Mad...I know anger when I see it...

William sighed internally...Well...

She did seem a little...Cool...At the end...

Frigid...And we ought to know frigid, being Victorians...Spike pointed out...

It was right after I called her "Cicely"...William noted...

Oh, #$%%!...You moron!...

What?...It was an accident, slipped out...

She is Cicely, after all...he continued...

But you didn't tell her that...You poof, no wonder she was your first!...If you ever really

made love to her...Mate, you can't call a woman by another woman's name...Damn you, I'm

the demon counterpart and even I know that...

Go back!...Spike commanded...

What?...

God damn you, go back!...Tell her about Cicely!...Apol...#$%&!...Spike struggled with the

word...

Apol...ogize...he choked out...

I can't tell her about Cicely yet Spike...She has to let it come to her...

She'll remember...In her own good time...

Arghh!...Go back!...Spike hollered...

Besides...William noted...to himself...

Would it really so terrible for her to think she had a leetle competition...? From the past...

What?...Spike pulled up...

We spent the last two years chasing her...William noted...

Couldn't hurt to let her chase us for a day or two...See if she really is interested...Or just sympathetic

to our plight...

Hmmn...Interesting...Bro was showing a little edge after all...

But...What if she...? Spike was hesitant...Admitting that his prowess had been limited mainly to Dru

and Harmony was not something he cared to let slip out...Even to his human counterpart...

She cares, don't fret about...She was angry...You were right, Spike...William noted to

himself...Moreover...

She returned the "Dear" ...he pointed out...

But it couldn't hurt to have her staking a claim...(must you use that word, Spike groused)...And the

Greatest Slayer of All Time is not about to let some old flame from our past crowd her out...

And we do have to be sure...That Buffy loves us...That it's not some residual guilt on Cicely's

part...Or solely the effect of Cicely memories...

If I go and tell her now...Well...

I don't want her pity...Or her guilt...

Bull...Spike noted...

Fair enough...Yeah...Pity and guilt would do in a pinch...William admitted...

But...If she goes at her own pace...And deals with her past...Herself...While we get to know each

other again...

Uhhh...Spike groaned...

This sounded like the Angelis style to him...

And Summers as sack-mate not likely for some time...

She liked the "Dear"...William smiled within...

Yeah, yeah...

It's best to leave things for tonight...And Buffy needs her rest...

Uhhhh...

Well...William pondered...

We could go back a moment...Ask her if anything's wrong...

We didn't say good night to Dawn, after all...

Absolutely...The Nibs will be crushed...Spike solemnly noted...

Besides the little bitch will spill anything Buf told her the moment we get her alone...

"Hey..." Dawn eyed him at the front door...

Sorry, Nibs...William smiled...

"Didn't mean to leave without saying good night...Buffy just seemed tired..."

Will...? Buffy came out of the kitchen...Cocoa in hand...

Anything wrong...?

"Sorry...I...Just wanted to ask a question...And say night to the Nibs..."

She came out, Dawn watching narrowly and frowning severely as Buffy closed the front door...

Came to say "night" to me, huh?...Bullcrap...she thought darkly...

"Did I do something wrong?..." he asked her...

Ummn...

You seemed...Unhappy...When you left me...

"No...Ummn...No, really..." she paused, eyeing him...

I was just a little pooped...

"Ummn...The name I mentioned...She's just..." he looked at her...

My ideal...You might say...

"Name...?" she asked brightly...

Spike listening intently within...

There was a Cicely...But...

"Oh..." So there was a #$%&ing little Victorian Cicely...she thought, glaring involuntarily...

Oh...Bollocks!...You poof!...Step back and let me han...William crushed Spike down...

But...What I loved in her...Is what I love in you, Buffy...If you can just under...

"It will be all right, William..." she murmured...

"I'll write Papa...Once we've...Gone..."

Buffy?...he blinked...

She came back with a start...

"Yeah...So...Ummn...So I'm "Cicely"...I mean what you loved in her?..."

Miserable #$%^$ing Cicely...she thought...

Bet she never would have made love to Spike...

Out of sympathy and compassion for William, I mean, of course...

Just wasn't consciously aware of it when we were at it like crazed animals...

But it was all for a good...Who am I kidding?...She looked up at him...

I should have taken him back to the shop...First Date or no...

There'd be no Cicely in his mind when I got through with him...

"I'm not substituting you for someone else..." William went on...True enough, after a fashion he

noted. to himself...

"I understand, William...It's ok...Hey...We still have to get to know each other, right?..." she noted...

But hey...She thought happily...Cicely sent him away...Rejected him...Maybe even caused his

death...

Bitch...Some snotty little Victorian princess...William wasn't good enough for her, no...

Probably as shallow as...

"Buffy?..." William stared at her...She was staring blankly...

There she goes again...Spike groaned...

Doctor, tomorrow...No excuses...If he won't see her, let me handle him...he groused...

Elegantly dressed people swirled around her, men in top hats, women in long gowns, candles and gas

lights burning...

I...She looked down...A long dress on her as well...

What the...?

A handsome man, top-hatted, elegant, dark-haired, rather...Xanderly in his manner...Hurried to her

side...

"My dear girl..." he paused...

Henry...she replied, without thinking...

Henry?...The name Xander said I called him...

I...What...?

"I..." he paused...Looking at her stricken face...A sad, gentle look on his...

"They've found William..."

She looked at him...Knowing somehow...Not able to say the words...

"Take me..."

"My dear...Not tonight...You mustn't see him tonight..."

"Then I'll go myself..." she turned...

It's...He's...She looked at him...

The morgue, yes?...

Henry bowed his head...She trembled...But...She had to see...

She already had guessed, knew...How he'd died...

And she knew why...

She'd failed...Fallen into the trap so neatly set by her own Watcher and Council...

Who would be dead as shortly as she could make it...

But there was still one thing she could do for her beloved...Husband...

"I'll take you..." Henry told her, looking back at his cousin's steady gaze...

Buffy came back with a start...

Holy...

You see...Spike noted...

She was glad we came back...

You're right...William generously conceded...She was happy, even if she's still upset about Cicely...

Both brothers couldn't help it...Buffy Summers jealous of...Herself...

William chuckled...Spike guffawed...

But oddly it was Spike who fretted more...

"We have to tell her...Soon..."

At her own pace, Spike...It has to come to her...And it will...

You heard what she saw tonight...

Hmmn...

So...She did come after us...That night...

Spike...William beamed...She came to help us...Even after...

I don't consider having a stake shoved in my newly arisen bod... "Help"...

She cared...She still cared...I knew it...William was rapt...

After sending us to our death, she got the guilts...Spike noted, sneering...

William glared within...Reaching unforgivable territory, there, bro...

Language skill pulling territory, he noted...

Sorry...Spike astonishingly replied...

Not our Cicely...She couldn't have done it...Knowingly...he conceded...

And how she was led into it is one of the things I...we have to find out...William finished...

He pondered a bit...As did his "brother"...

She's working too hard...William noted to himself...

Hmmn...Doublemeat duty...

Doublemeat...Well...

Oh, no...NO!...Spike screamed within...

A place with high turnover...Always looking for night help...

And a unique chance for a writer returning to his craft...(NOOOO! Spike bellowed)...

To observe the human condition, close hand...

And...Buffy will be there...

Hmmn...Spike pulled up short...Forgot that one saving grace...

And one never knows what a desparate girl might do, endlessly working a dead-end job...William

noted...

Hook up with the first lout who flashes her a smile...And has a steady income...Spike pondered

within...

Not on my...our watch...the demon noted...

Right then...You see what we have to do...William told...himself...

Yeah...Spike sighed...

But, look mate...This is your bright idea...I'm not taking any share on this one...

Except that I consented only for Buffy's sake...the demon hastily added...

You're a demonic prince of a fella, bro...

Damn straight...Spike groused...

And use your own name...Don't call yourself "Spike" there...

Jesus...Spike moaned... "Doublemeat Hell..."

Well...If you "can get money"...Another, relatively honest way...Like you promised her...William

noted...

Hey!...I gave it a shot...Spike cried...Lets be fair here...

And I didn't even tell Buffy the whole eggs story...

Left Harris and his little veiny girl out of it...Just like I promised her...

Even when Summers and war-boy blew my crypt sky-high...

You did well, brother...William agreed...But you know as well as I do, it would've been

worse if you'd ratted on the (soon to be, hopefully, at last) Harrises...

And Anya was only trying to help us help Buffy...

Romance Palace...Part XVIII...

Part XVIII...

Strange...Dawn nodded in agreement...

Very...Strange...

William having departed for the Box...For the second time, finally, Dawn noted to herself...

Buffy had brought up the strange way she'd somehow known William's name...

A very nice name, by the way...A truly fine name...

A name that really defined...Dawn glared...Enough already...

" 'Course...I could of heard Spike say it sometime..." Buffy finished sheepishly...

Just forgotten it in the heat of battle maybe...

Absolutely...Dawn nodded...

Mystery solved...

She being no more anxious than Mr. Walthrop for Buffy to learn about her past just yet...

No, not until they had more to go on...More about this "Cicely"...

Oddly enough Buffy had mentioned...

Spit out the name, rather...

Cicely...

Apparently some ole girlfriend of Will's...Buffy had noted...Just as William had returned...

And she'd quickly donned the cap of forgetfulness...Cicely, Will?...Oh...right...

My God...Dawn had blinked...As Buffy had rushed out to hear Will's..."Question"...

Ha...He came back!...Her joyous manner clearly shouting...

Sensitive, romantic...Dear...poet that he was...He'd caught her skillfully masked apprehension...

My God...Dawn thought...As she awaited Buffy's...Hopefully quick return from the front steps...

She's jealous...

Of Cicely...?

But...Unless Halfreck was lying to Anya and Xander...She was...

My God...

Will she be jealous of me next?...It would make more sense, after all...

Unless Halfreck was lying...

Hmmn...

And "Guidance Counselor" Halfreck had made one or two quiet attempts to resume contact at

school...

Just call on me, she'd said...

I'm here for you...Anytime...

So nice Dawn had hesitated about telling Buffy...The first time...Having carefully avoided any wish-

making whatsoever, Anya having warned her wishing Haly away was a nongrantable one...

And so difficult to track down...Given the hunt the Slayer and Scoobies had made for her at school

after the second contact...There might be no other way to get hold of her except via Anya...

And the vengeful demon was probably on guard in her encounters with her fellow demon lady...

But who knew what she might reveal to the sweet young girl she'd for some reason taken a shine

to...Innocent Dawn, who if she played the role to the hilt might squeeze demon lady for a few facts

she'd hid from Anya...

Well...I mean if Halfreck was so anxious to be helpful...

And was the best source for direct info on the situation...

So long as she was not allowed to massacre all the loved ones via involuntary wish...

No time like the present...William noted...

Uhhh...Spike groaned...

As the "brothers" looked up at the gleaming Doublemeat sign...

Can't we just hold on this till tomorrow?...Spike whined...

That first busy day with dear ole An starts in less than eight hours...Want to make a good impression

on boss number one, right...?

Sooner it's over, sooner we get a shift with our girl, Spike...William pointed out...

Documentation...Spike solemnly noted...

We need proper documentation...Birth certificate, Social Security card, Driver's license...

Passport...

You no doubt want to do things the legit way, eh bro?...Spike hopefully went on...

A few days and Giles can arrange things...

I...we...have a passport...And a driver's license...Remember?...Will noted...

Both quite legit...Excepting that you put the poor lady at the bureau in thrall to do it...

And making her go out to the office at 12:30 am...

Hell...Bout time a government employee put in some overtime...Spike groused within...And I didn't

kill her...he smugly noted...

Of course you didn't kill the poor thing, you needed her alive to make sure the forms went

through...And she wasn't your type anyway...

So, we're all set...

But wait...Spike smiled within...The citizenship docs...

Fakes...He noted...

Courtesy the vamp network of references...An army of vamps bound to their crypts by daylight,

making extra cash by providing "references" and phony documents to the underworld...

Never hold up under the intense scrutiny of the INS...Spike proclaimed within...

Please...

This is Doublemeat Palace...Not the CIA...

And they take the guys who bring their "ids" hand written on a scrap torn from an old cigarette

box...

Shift with Buffy, Spike...William dangled the carrot...

Uhhh...Home Depot is probably hiring...Spike noted...Or maybe Barnes and Noble...A bookstore,

Will, right up your poof alley...Either at least several lesser degrees of Hell...

Afternoon at the Box with her...Night at the Palace with her...William pointed out...

Unnnm...

Us...Maybe alone lots of nights...William continued...

It'll be a veritable...Romance Palace...

You can make sarcastic commentary on the clientele...I'll pass it on to Buffy, I promise...

As mine...? Spike asked within...Growling...

Have I ever taken credit for work not my own?...William replied sternly...

Ok...Willow spoke into her cell phone...

From her surveillance post, 100 yards from Fort Summers...

"He's definitely gone for the night...Lights are out..."

You sure...? Xander rasped into his phone...From his post at Spike's former favorite cemetery...

Just in case he...er Will...and Buffy decided to try to relive some fond memories...

"Xander...He did the come back thing...He's gone...For the night..." Willow replied...

And Buffy's fine...

Hmmn...

Willow could hear the frown over the phone...

Why did I let him talk me into this one...? she thought...

Surveillance...Ok, spying...On Will and Buffy...

Just for their own good, he'd noted...After Buffy had asked Will to join her on Patrol...

A Patrol that was without doubt, giving the ridiculously coy way she'd asked, a First Date...

Even Willow had been a hair worried...And when she'd left a somewhat freaking Dawn, had been

somewhat amenable to Xander's cell phoned suggestion that they... "Keep an eye on things"...Just

this one time...

In case Spike or Cicely make...Trouble...

First day back for Will after all...

Well, lets face it, Willow had to admit to herself...It was kinda nice to be back on Scoobie

assignment...After weeks of inaction...

Even if the first new assignment was somewhat bizarre...

And as long as Buffy didn't catch them, it probably wasn't a terrible idea to watch out for her...

Pregnant Slayer struggling with past life flashes, besottedly in love with a newly human?souled

vampire...Who might, if Anya was right and the vengeance demon Halfreck was not lying...Be her...

Husband...?

Still the "Blue Velvet" line definitely applied here... "Detective...Or pervert?..."

Oh well...

"An?..." he switched to another line...

"No sign of them at the shop...Yet..." Anya reported...Having popped directly in front of him...

Telephones were so slow...And so one-dimensional...

And so tactilely deficient...

"An!..." Xander jumped...

Sorry...

Just trying to be efficient...she noted...

And see my honey at any opportunity...she grinned...

He twisted his face at her...But his eyes were pleased...

"Will just left Buffy at the house...He's on his way home..." Xander noted...

Hmmn...Well...Maybe we should go to the Box together...Stake it out...she suggested, eyeing him..

In case Buffy plans to sneak over again...

And since it would take Will thirty minutes at least to walk back, Buffy having had Xander slip his

car over to a friend's body shop for dent repair...Handing William a cock-and-bull story, furnished

by Xander, at dinner that the alternator needed replacement...

They'd have a leetle...Time...

And a chance to wipe out that terrible image of her and Spike on the main shop room's

table...Replacing it with one of their own...

Hell, it was her...And partner Giles', she dutifully noted...Place...

Will would probably go in via the basement entrance in any case...

Well...he eyed her...

Might be more...Efficient...But what if they're actually planning to meet here...To avoid us...

At Spike's old crypt...

Hmmn...

Spike's...Old...Crypt...

Blasted perhaps but cleaned up a bit since...

And quite a trysting place...Or had been for Buf and Spike in any case...

Sealed shut by the new security...

But no real obstacle at this hour when the guards were a bit fewer and much more hesitant to poke

around...Given the high attrition rate the first late night shifts had seen...

Yeah, best to stay here...She could always pop quickly back to the shop to check on things, using the

cover story for William that she just wanted to see he was ok and settled...

While she and Xander had a unique chance to replace that terrible memory with a great one of their

own...

After she popped back to the apartment to get some clean sheets and blankets of course...

To make their make...er stake-out more comfortable she noted...

He bowed to his mate's thousand year old wisdom...

Still, she had one question...

What do they do if they catch Will and Buffy...At it...?

Ummn...

Well...

Willow called back from her post...

"Guys...She is staying put...I really think we can call it a night..."

Ok...Xander replied...

"Get some sleep, Wil...See ya tomorrow..."

Anya a leetle...As he hung up...

The stake-out in the crypt nixed?...

"I think we'd better hang..." Xander noted...Eyeing her...

Can't be sure with Spike...Who knows how much control he might have and what he might do when

Will is asleep...And Buffy acting so strange...

Best to go on with our stake-out...he finished...Smiling at her...

Absolutely, Anya solemnly nodded...One can never be too cautious with Spike...

I told you it'll be easy...William noted as he walked back to the Box...

Doublemeat uniform...Tax form and "the Palace experience" brochure in hand...

The night manager had been more than eager to take him on...

That strange Summers girl had an evening shift tomorrow and he was dreadfully shorthanded...

Be a relief to have a cultured fellow like this Mr. Walthrop, newly in from England to write about

his impressions of American life...On hand to watch her...

Wasn't like he was the first writer to ever show up on the Doublemeat doorstep...Hell, William

Styron once spent an evening shift at a New York Palace...

Just hoped Walthrop'd try to give a few happier impressions of the Doublemeat experience than the

last one...

Mr. Irving had been so negative...

Romance Palace...Part XIX...

Part XIX...

A pleased if rather dazed Buffy had returned from her last quick "g'night" on the front steps with

William...

Dawn eyeing her questioningly...

Of course, Buffy noted to herself...There was the little problem of what seemed to be the initial

stages of insanity...Given these bizarre visions and all...

But Giles would work that one out...She had larger issues to deal with...

William came back...she happily noted to herself...Just to make sure I wasn't upset...

Over that #$%^&!...Cicely...

His "ideal", eh...

Snotty little Victorian princess...

Well...Buffy Summers would take the challenge...And raise William Soames Walthrop's notion of "ideal" to a whole new level...

Hardly a fair competition at that, the little...Being long dead...And having rejected him to boot...

Bet she wasn't even a blonde...And probably shorter...

And she had the additional slight advantage of being the mother of his child...

This was gonna be a piece of cake...

Fairy cake...William's favorite...I spent a whole afternoon with Mrs. Rands learning to make it

properly...

Dear Henry kindly consenting to try it...Through four failed attempts...Until I finally got it...

Ummn...she blinked...

Hmmn...Hold the insane thought there Summers she thought...

Anyway...this Cicely?...Please...

Piece of cake...

Why is she smiling like that?...Dawn stared at her sis...

It's that peaceful expression she gets just before she makes a really good kill...

Just making sure of things...Xander noted to Willow...For the fifth time...Anya nodding...Yeah...

In case Buffy and Will decided to do something as foolish as...Ummn...

As the three strolled back to Xander's car...Still parked just outside Spike's former favorite resting

place...

I understand...Willow nodded...Trying desperately to push the image she'd just seen out of her

head...

When she'd entered Spike's now unsealed crypt in search of a Xander and Anya whom she'd failed

to reach by cell phone...Wanting to hear their final reports before heading home...

A cell phone long forgotten in the pile of clothes the hopefully-soon-to-be Harrises had left by their

blankets...

Good idea...she added...Both eyeing her...

And I saw...Nothing...she told herself...

Never knew demons had moles...Especially there...

But then Anya was trying hard to maintain her human form...

And apparently succeeding quite well...

Well...Wasn't like it was anything unexpected...

Still...

In Spike's old crypt?...

Well...

A neat place for the purpose at that...

Gee...Shame Tara and I never thought of it...she bowed her head...

Ummn...Wil?...Xander began a sixth apologetic try...

It's ok, Xander...she smiled at him...

She eyed them slyly and nudged him...

"Been picking up some lessons from your new "brothers Walthrop", eh..."

Spike will be proud...she teased...

Actually...Anya grinned back, nudging him in her turn...

Spike will be seeking advice from his new "brother" from now on...

Really...? Xander quickly asked her...So innocently pleased, looking at his loving, generous face

Willow found herself suddenly on the verge of tears...

Oh...

Xander...My Xander...

But no...My brother, my love...My Xander will always be there for me...

Always loving me...Though nearly all of him goes to Anya... Always a place for me...

My one fixed constant in this crazy, painful...lovely, and wonderful universe...

Well...One of two...Can't forget my Giles...

Hell, one of so many who came through for me this year...Even Momma and Pop when I finally let

them back into my life...

But my Xander is special...And always will be...

One of the two great loves of my life...

Both equally precious...Though I may have taken him for granted a little these past years...

Both lost...

But at least...She smiled at Anya as they neared the car...

Yeah...Willow agreed, giving him a final nudge...

"Spike will be begging him for advice from now on..."

At least...I can give him up freely...Generously...And by my own choice...As a gift...

To him...

I never really did before...Somewhere...In my heart I never really let him go...

Thinking, somewhere deep down...She wasn't worthy of him...That demon Anyanka would return

and human Anya would fail...That he'd always be on standby...And if Tara and I flopped...

But...At last I see...She is worthy of him, ready to fight and die for him, wait through all Eternity for

him if she must...

So, for his sake...For his happiness...

Goodbye...Though I know my brother Xander will always be there...

Goodbye, my love...

Unless of course you screw it up completely, demon girl...she eyed Anya...Who sensed the gift she'd

just been given without a word being said...

"Really sorry I came in like that, guys..." she sheepishly smiled at them...Anya staring back...

Thank you, Willow...her eyes saying...

"Shoulda thought to knock..."

My fault...Xander replied...Shaking his head...Shoulda realized you'd call...Be coming...

His sheepish smile filling his open-hearted, endlessly loving face...

My yellow-crayon love...Against whom all the powers of the underworld were useless...

Hurt him?...Kill him...? I would die for him...Will die for him or his Anya if the need ever arises...

For him...I spared the world...

"Come to think of it..." she grinned at Anya...

"Yeah...It was your fault..."

Goodbye...

"Good morning...Mr. Walthrop..." Buffy grinned...As she entered and he stood near...But of

necessity, not too near the shop door...

Ms. Summers...the Randy-suited William nodded politely...

"Did you sleep well?..." she asked...

Oh...she paused...

No offense...

"None taken..." he grinned...

"As a matter of fact I've been trying to get used to some night sleeping...Now that I hold my first

day job in 122 years...Not counting a leetle writing Spike tried to do...With some help from me..."

"Really?..." she looked at him...

Spike wanted to write?...

Hey!...The demon called within...I had wonderful ideas...Tell her how I came up with a Hannibal

Lecter killer decades ago...

Spike...She doesn't want to hear a story about a guy who kept a collection of cute infants in his

freezer to nibble on at night...

She'd get a kick out of the idiot police inspector...Spike noted...And his gruesome death...

Well, true...William admitted...She probably never admit it, but seeing Angel bite the dust as a

moron inspector probably would bring a surpressed smile to her face...After the way Christ Jr.

"handled" her post-resurrection...

Thank God for our dear Angel...Spike solemnly noted... And the marvelous way he utterly failed to

lift a finger to help her this past year...Or protect Dawn when Buffy was gone...

They eyed their beaming Buffy...In her red suit...Decked out as well as her "professional" mindset

for the first day as well as Dawn's stern eye, would allow...

Perhaps just a tad anxiously scanning herself in the shop room mirror...Doesn't show, please don't

let it show...Nope, it's fine...She turned back to him...

Praise be to Christ Jr...And his son...And his newly rediscovered "true love", Darla...the "brothers

Walthrop" chorused within...

"Well..." William continued to her..."We both share an interest in literature...Though his tastes are

on the far side of extreme for me..."

Do you see what I see?...Spike asked within...Better tell her to stop wearing that suit after today...

Do you want her to run home in tears?...Or more likely rip you out of me with her bare hands?...

Hmmn...Spike agreed within...Has a point, my poof bro...

Well...Tell her she looks...Radiant...

Much better, brother...William noted...

Anya entered, blinking at them...

Such enthusiasm...While a joy and inspiration to see...

"Ummn...Guys...It's only seven am...I can't put you on the clock until 8:45..."

That's fine...her dedicated new employees chorused...

"We can go take a look at Will's new digs downstairs..." Buffy replied... "Dawn and I had some

ideas last night..."

The door chimes rang...Willow...

Bearing bagels and coffee...

"Hey..." she waved...

Hell, no way was she gonna miss "First Day..." for the new Magic Box staff...

Whoa...Buf...About time to retire that suit, sweetie...At least for the duration...she thought, smiling

at Buffy...

Xander entered, bearing a couple of boxes from his car...Eyeing William...and the beaming Buffy...

"More things for me...?" William grinned...

"You two don't have to empty your apartment for me, you know..."

Why the hell not...Spike groused within...After the fallout from that little eggs deal of Anya's?...

"It's stuff from your old place..." Xander explained... "We found it and thought you might like to

have it..."

Willow slyly grinned at him...Just kinda strolled into his crypt and found it, eh...

"Ummn...I mean...Over the course of the summer...When we were checking out your crypt in case

you'd come back..."

Buffy eyed William...Looks like someone was afraid we'd try returning to the old stalking

grounds...her smile said...

Another chime...Giles...

Bearing scones...

Great...This is so nice, Anya thought...

Family breakfast...

Of course it all ends at exactly 8:45 am when we staff persons all turn into professionals...

"Well...We'll be back in a mo..." Buffy grabbed William and headed for the stairs... "Just gotta

look over a few things downstairs..."

Ummn...Well...Buffy...The others looked at her...

Hows æbout a scone...? Xander called...Too late as the basement door closed...Firmly...Behind

them...

Ummn...Willow eyed Giles...Anya eyed Xander who eyed Giles...Giles eyed the basement door...

They wouldn't try anything now, Willow thought...Not with us up here...Ummn...

Of course...If Halfreck wasn't lying...They have overcome some preety big obstacles to their love

over the past century...

And a little thing like a roomful of friends and family above is hardly likely to stop them...

Xander nervously edged toward the basement door...Not wanting to intrude...Just to be where he

could rush down to their aid should any loud or low, steady noises be heard coming from below...

Immediately...

They're terrified...Buffy grinned at William as they looked around his now increasingly "posh"

basement...

Think we'll be at it again in a minute if they leave us alone...

And you know Xander and Anya must have been at the old...she hesitated...Our old...Place...Last

night...

Makin' sure us two crazy kids didn't try anything...Foolish...

She eyed him...

Losing a little of the bleached blonde suited him...she noticed...Hair looked more natural now...

Even...A little curly...

The suit actually didn't look bad on him...William clearly a bit more at ease in one than Spike had

been...

So...she looked at some Dawn-chosen posters...

"Place is really coming along...Almost as nice as..."

Ummn...

Hmm-hmmn...William nodded...Staring at her...

Spike waiting...Desperately trying to hold back his raging impatience...

Knowing if he pushed too hard, William would go all nervous and poofy...Insist it was too

soon...Suggest she remember her condition...That they... "Wait"...for the "Right Time"...

And Spike wanted this to come off...

Lord, how he wanted this to come off...

She paused, staring at him...

He stepped back, looking around him...And tripped over a lamp cord, falling to the floor...

Dolt...Spike growled...You moron, she's gonna think we're both as feeble as you are...

Really?...William grinned inside...As Buffy came over...

Huh?...Spike did the equivalent of an internal blink...

Watch and learn the human approach, bro...

Will?...She bent over him...Kneeling besides him...

"You ok...?"

It's fine, Xander..she called upstairs to where the door was being rattled...

Hmmn...Spike pondered...What the hell is he...

"Fine..." Will grinned... "Just my true clumsy nature reasserting itself..."

She smiled back, looking at him as he sat up...Into his eyes...

Ummn...

Some of his hair brushed her cheek...

"I guess we'd better..."

Hmm-hmmn...he nodded...

A few loose hairs from her bun drifted to his lips as she looked nervously back up the stairs...

But made no move to rise from her kneeling spot by him...Or release the hand she was holding...

My demon God...Spike thought in wonder...

No charging Xander...Yet...she smilingly noted to William...But she was clearly anxious not to bring

anyone down...Just now...

She was wearing that perfume he liked...Just a touch...He mentioned it to her...

She was looking away...Around the room...

I thought you liked it...she replied...

Their heads were almost touching now...She turned back to him...

Staring deep into his eyes...

Ummn...

"I can get this thing off and on in two minutes..." she looked at him...Breathing deep... "How about

you?..."

"Bit longer with this suit..." he looked at her... "But I could run for the bathroom in ten seconds...If I

have to..."

They ripped in record time, diving for the blankets, as quietly as circumstances would

allow...Leaving poor Spike gasping...But rather...Admiring...

That's my poof human counterpart there...

Romance Palace...Part XX...

PG-13...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement?seeking Will firmly in the

saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at .com/buffyrebecca

Part XX...

In the main room of the Magic Box, Giles, Willow, Xander, and Anya ate breakfast and nervously

awaited the return of Buffy and Will...

From the depths...Of Will's new place in the basement...

We'll have to find him a basement apartment somewhere...Xander noted...

Now that he's a working man...And as legit as possible under the circumstances...He'll need a real

address...

Well...Willow began...Without pausing to think...

Buffy will probably want him...

They all looked at her...

And the basement door...From which no sounds had emanated for the past sixteen, nope Xander

rechecked the clock...Seventeen minutes...

Except for one strained..."Just...A...A...Min...Minute, guys!..." from Buffy at the eleven minute

mark...

A reply which had naturally not relieved their anxiety...

Ummn...Willow paused...I mean...Want him to live in her basement...

Hmmn...Not exactly the best recovery she noted as their looks at her took on a narrow focus...

"Think we should call them again?..." she asked brightly...

Give them a minute...Giles eyed her...

Why, Rupert Giles...You crazy romantic you...Willow thought, smiling at him...

Fifty-nine...fifty-eight...Xander thought...

Ummn...William eyed Buffy...She eyed him...

They both eyed the blankets around them...

"So...You like what I've done with the place..."

Oh...Yeah...she nodded...

Really coming along...

Ummn...

"Look..." he paused... "This is ridiculous..."

Absolutely...she nodded solemnly...Just plain silly...

"We're acting like sixteen year olds..." he went on...

Hmmn...These days more like fourteen year olds...she noted...

Whoops...

I need to speak to Dawny again...Tonight...she thought...

He grinned...You know...he eyed her...

"Romeo and Juliet were only fourteen..."

Oh...she smiled back...

Ummn...he paused...

"Actually I guess I have been acting like a moronic fourteen year old..."

Will?...

Well...You see...he paused...

"My little fall back there...Wasn't entirely accidental..."

I'm afraid in part...I was trying to prove something...he sighed...

Hell, to be perfectly honest I was trying to show Spike up...

In part...

But only in part...he eyed her...

Oh...she eyed him...

God bless you, Spike you demon imp from Hell, you...she thought...

"Don't worry about it Will..."

Frankly...she paused, grinning...If you had taken any longer...I was seriously considering clubbing

you over the head and trying to get Spike to take over for an hour or so...

Now there's a pl...William crushed Spike down...

"Besides..." she giggled...

The "trip over the cord and wind up with your girl...Or guy beside you" is a very old one...

Ah...he sighed...Well then...

"I'll be a love-struck...Fourteen year old...For a minute longer..."

Love-struck...she thought...Love...Struck...she cheered within...

Ya hear that Cicely, you little...

I am...Dear...And he is Love Struck...

He sighed again and looked at her...

How was it...? he asked...A nervous look on his face...

I know it was a bit of a rushed thing...

"Next time we'll have more time...Maybe all night..." she smiled at him...

Oh...His face fell a little...So...

Oh...No, Will...It was wonderful...Terrific...

And it really had been...She wasn't trying to please him...And she'd been worried...That maybe

her...Craving...Was something connected to Spike's nature...Maybe even bound up with her own

demon...

But...Nah...

Will had come through...And now she knew...

He had been there...Every time...Every moment...Fighting to reach her...

Oh...She closed her eyes again...It wasn't disappointment that had kept her quiet for the last few

minutes...It was shame...

I did nothing for him...Nothing...Not even when he stopped me from throwing my life away to the

police...

I took all he gave...And told myself it was my due...For what?...For not sticking a stake in him...

That at least would have been some kindness...Offering him release...

Oh, William how can you love me so much?...Even after...I...

"You're beneath me..." the phrase drifted into her mind...

What?...

I said that to him...Once...

When?...Oh, right the night we talked about the past...And Spike fed me that load about what a "bad

boy" even human Will had been...

But...There was another time...

"Buffy?..." Will looked at her...

She'd drifted off again...

She blinked at him...

Well...Rome wasn't built in a day...I can make amends...In fact I can do something for him right

now...she thought, happily...

I mean in addition to giving him the best sex he's had in 122 years...

She put her lips to his ear...

"Better than you, Spike..."

A still dazed Spike came to on that one...Hey!...

Will smiled gently at her...Oh...You sweet girl...

I know that smile she thought...The smile he gave me that time in the crypt...When we actually

started talking...Like lovers...

The smile he wore after I kissed him...When Glory tortured him...

A boy's sweet smile...The smile he wore when we first met...When Henry brought him to the

house...When I asked him to...

She blinked...

Asked him...To...?

"Guys...? You finished down there..." Xander hollered...Rapping on the door...

"Scones are getting cold..."

And I am starting to freak...he did not say...

"Guess we'd better..." she eyed him...

Yeah...

She gathered up her "professional" suit and standing, caught sight of the Doublemeat brochure...His

eyes following...

Will?...she blinked...

You...?

Me...he sighed...Signed on last night...

Oh, Mom...Did you hear that?...I am Dear...and he is responsible to boot...Oh, Mommy you were so

right about him...she thought ecstatically...

"Well..." she looked away... "You really shouldn't waste your talent like that...You have to get back

to your writing...Finish your degree..."

"Can't think of a better place than Doublemeat to learn about people..." he noted...

You...And the baby...he paused...

We...

Need the money...

It'll be a while before anything I write will be marketable...

As for my degree...Well...I don't think century-old transfer credits will apply...

"Say...You could apply to UCal-Sunnydale...For night courses...A Cambridge man from 1880

oughta be able to breeze through their English courses..."

Maybe...We could take a class or two together...she noted shyly...Buttoning up her blouse as she

brushed off his suit jacket...

She licked her fingers and plastered down a curling lick of his hair without even thinking...He took

her retreating hand...

And holding it...As she stared at him...Kissed it...

"I was beginning to think this would never happen for me..." he eyed her...Tears forming and

rolling...

"That I was lost forever..."

William...she hugged him...

Oh...Cicely...he sobbed...

Oh...Bloody Hell, you poof!...Spike bellowed...

"Will...It's..."

Cicely...?...she pulled back...

"Cicely?..."

Romance Palace...Part XXI...

Part XXI...

Hmmn...Dawn thought as she stood in the empty gym room...

No time like the present...Even if I am gonna get it when I show up late for

first class...

But...How do you summon a vengeance demon?...

I mean...Without wishing gory death on somebody...

Upset?...Buffy eyed William as they finished dressing and made for the

stairs...

Not...At...All...

I...Completely...Understand...she eyed him...

We are dead...Even you know that, don't you, poof...

Dead...Spike moaned within...

"Naturally you confused me with the woman you really love..." she continued...

Buffy...Will sighed...

"Just like Angel...With Darla..."

Whoa...Now that is an unforgivable insult, girl...Spike cried within...

Buffy Anne...

"I'm sure Giles can arrange some kind of seance...So you can meet up with

her..."

Her being the woman you really love and all...she noted, coolly...

The real...Dear...she thought in sad despair...

"Damn you!..." he grabbed her...

I love you!...And you are Cicely!...

She blinked at him...

Whoa...He's getting all like Jimmy Stewart in that movie...Ummn...Oh,

right..."Vertigo"...

Will want me to dye my hair and wear one of Cicely's dresses next I guess...

Hmmn...I wonder how I'd look...

"You are Cicely Addams Walthrop!..." he told her...

And...

And I didn't mean to tell you that...he eyed her sheepishly...Not until you were

ready...

Oh...She nodded... "Well...That's very kind of you, Will..."

Mustn't get him too upset...

Say, if he's gone a leetle crazy, maybe there's hope yet...I can nurse him back

to sanity...Sanity being the state in which Cicely is dead and

forgotten...And...

Whoa...

Cicely Addams...Walthrop?...

As in...Mrs...Walthrop?...

As in...Oh my God...

Hmmn...Well, Dawn thought...Lets try this the methodical way...

"Halfreck...!" she called...

Hal...

"Dawny...Shouldn't you be in class, sweetie?" the demon smiled at her...

Odd...Willow thought as she eyed Buffy and Xander...As the gang sat eating the

remains of breakfast...

Hard to tell which one of them is glaring harder at poor ole Will...

Something must've gone screwy down there in Paradise...

Anya pleased to see that everyone was keeping to schedule...Even Buffy and Will

had managed their little...Rendevous...With alacrity...

Boded well for their performance as employees she noted to herself...

A still narrow-eyed Xander cast a final accusatory...What the hell did you do

to my sister?...glare at Will as he headed out for work...Anya escorting him to

his car...

"Keep an eye on them..." he cautioned her...

Sure...Hows about my...

And...Find out why she's upset...

Right, but...

"I'm not being unreasonable..." he insisted...

"Unreasonable would have involved immediate staking..."

No...Not at all, honey, but...

"I know he's had a rough time...I do sympathize...But..."

Xander!...Anya grabbed his head...

Kiss me goodbye!...she demanded...Before I make you kiss Anyanka...

Oh...

"I would you know..." he smiled at her...

So long as I know it's you in there...

Cicely...Addams?...Halfreck paused...Looking at the frowning Dawn...

Hmmn...Well...I do think I've heard that name...Somewhere...

Some old enemy of yours, Dawny?...she smiled innocently at her ...

"Knock it off, Halfreck..." Dawn replied...

And remember...My sister defeated the Goddess Glorificus the year before

last...

A vengeance demon?...When she's ready for her?...

No problem...Dawn glared...

"Now tell me about Buffy and Cicely...And why they sent William away..."

"He's my...What?..." Buffy blinked at Anya...

Willow eyeing them with Giles from the back table...

Just doing a little prelim research before class, she'd explained to the

gang...

Check out the still unfulfilled prophecies...Search the Net for any rumored new

arrivals in town...

A chance to get back into the saddle gently with dear ole Giles

guidance...Before any new Big Baddies reared their heads...

Maybe cast a glance or two at vengeance demon records...She'd smiled at Anya...

And to check out one Cicely Addams, Slayer, active in England in the 1870s,

1880s...And her husband, William Soames Walthrop...she did not say...

"Well...Buffy..." Anya paused...

William discreetly moving to the other side of the main room, checking out a

display of Cretean cyclops idols...New item, sure to be a hit, Anya hoped...

He does have more experience with the occult than you...

And he is full-time...Whereas you will only be afternoons after today...

"Supervisor?...He is my supervisor...?"

And two years education at Cambridge...Anya added...

Grrr...Buffy glared over at...

Cicely's husband...

He did say..."We"...though...The thought popped in her head...

You and the baby...We...Need the money...he said...

But this crazy stuff about my being...

Hmmn...1880...Oh-oh...

Whoa...

"People wore top hats and used gaslights in 1880, didn't they?..." she asked

Anya...

Ummn...her employer blinked at her...Yeah...

Anya looked over to Will...Who was looking for a friendly sign...As in...

"She's getting over it, come on over"...

And over to Willow and Giles...Both immersed in their research...

No one in vocal range without addressing Buffy as well...Oh well...

Spike?...She concentrated...Buffy's asking about 1880...

What should I do?...

"So you see, Dawny..." Halfreck sighed...

It was out of my hands...I was just doing my job...

Dawn stared at the demon...Rather easy to do with her in her true form...All

veiny and bulging...

"Cicely wanted him gone...Realized she'd made a terrible mistake..."

They were married...They really were married...Dawn gasped...

"Only two days..." Halfreck noted...

Though unfortunately...It did have consequences...

Fortunately the arrival of 8:45 and two customers postponed further discussion

of 1880...To Anya's relief...

Spike's advice...Tell the silly little bitch she's Cicely...And she belongs to

us...Not really of much use...

William handled his first sale with aplomb...Even his glaring Buffy had to

admit to a leetle pride...

Of course the "customers" were Apotx demons in disguise...Probably as much

anxious to see if the story Clem had been spreading...With a little

encouragement from Anya...Through the underworld was true...And that William

the Bloody was not only now souled...But working at the Sunnydale Magic

Box...In the company of the Slayer herself...

"Guys..." Buffy cornered them before the two left...

"This stuff is not to be used on humans, right?..."

Ummn...Ms. Summers...Will called to her...

"Just a minute...Mr. Walthrop..." she called...

It's harmless, Slayer...A minor sleeping-aid...one of the demons explained...

Mr. Walthrop?...the other thought...

William frowned at her as she left them to scurry out the door...

"Do you think I'd sell something dangerous...To anyone?..."

Sorry...she eyed him...

Anya hastened over...

Ummn...Buffy...I know some of our clientele may not be...Fully human...But we'd

never allow...

"I get it...I get it...No need for Slayer customs inspection..." she frowned at

them...

I'll cool it...I promise...

She turned away...

"Bear down..." the doctor told her...She lay weak on a pallet...

She gasped, gritting her teeth...The stench of blood and death all around

her...

A matron holding her hand, glanced nervously at the surgeon...

Arghhhhhh!...She screamed as the final contraction hit...

The doctor, the matron now beside him...Were quiet...Not a sound...

Not a cry...

"My baby!..." she screamed...The matron eyed the doctor...And gasped looking

down...

Doctor!...The matron screamed...

Oh, God...the doctor sighed...And set to work...

Baby?...My baby?...The matron rushed to her...Stroking her head...

"I am so sorry my dear..." she told her...

No...No...she whispered...Feeling herself weakening...Her life flowing

away...The doctor cried out for help...Blood everywhere...

"What was it...?...Tell me..." she grasped the matron's hand, crushing it with

rather surprising strength for an exhausted woman bleeding to death...

A little girl...the matron told her sadly...

"Tell my...Cousin...Tell Henry...Foxcroft...To bury...Us...Next to William's

coffin..."

My dear...? Tears were rolling down the middle-aged woman's face...

The baby's name...Amelia...After his...Mother and...Sister...

"Tell Henry..."

Yes, yes...

"There's nothing we can do...The bleeding can't be stopped..." a second surgeon

whispered to the first...

"They've tricked me...They sent that...Thing to me...Oh...God..."

My dear...?

I wanted...To save him...I had to ...she gasped for breath...

"Give me...Baby..."

The matron rushed up and brought the little stillborn girl over...

Amelia...Oh...William forgive me...

Oh...She desperately grabbed at the matron's hand...

"Tell Henry...William...Must be found...Released..."

Tell him...

Forgive me...Will...I will save you...I will...I...

"She's gone..." the surgeon said quietly...

Buffy?...Anya stared at her...

"William needs you..." she pointed at a William now surrounded by five rather

animated young women...

"I'm here, Will..." Buffy murmured...

Buffy?...

Hmmn...

Oh...She eyed the customers...

This looks like a job for...

Buffy Anne-Cicely Addams Walthrop-Summers...

Romance Palace...Part XXII...

Part XXII...

On the one hand, Dawn thought...Nodding as her homeroom teacher lectured her on the merits of

promptness...No trip to the principal's office thank goodness...

Halfreck is up to something...

She's not hanging around here for my sake...And I'm not ready to buy this "just doin my duty"

story...

On the other hand, it might be true...Cicely might have called her in 1880...And if Buffy really is her

reincarnated soul, all she's been through with Spike in the past couple of years, plus her

resurrection...Gee, her third resurrection if you think about it...Might have raised some memories,

including some Halfreck-summoning subconscious memories...

Unless Halfreck has her own motives for staying on the job so long...Hmmn Anya did tell Giles she

claimed to have known Spike before...

When I "accidently" overheard them talking about Cicely after Buffy fainted the other night...And

made Anya tell me the little Giles would let her...

She cracked her book as the teacher resume her math lesson...Almost a shame Halfreck didn't keep

her a little longer...God, I hate Algebra...

But my sis wouldn't...Couldn't...Send her own...gulp...Husband...To his death...Even if she thought

she'd made a mistake in marrying him...

But on the other hand again, if Cicely didn't have any way of knowing where Will would run to or

who the demon was in town...London town...That night...

And we don't know Cicely...She might have been capable of...

No...Not someone who is, was...Buffy...

And I oughta know...

But...Buffy does have a hard side...And she let Riley go...

Oh...No...No...

And she was pregnant then, too...Though she didn't know until after...

"Hey...Dawny..." her friend Janice hissed...

If Haly's not lying...

"Is it true about your sis, Buffy?...Angela says she's big as a..." Whoops...Teacher at twelve

o'clock...

God...Pregnant...Again...And not sure what to do about William again...And Halfreck within easy

calling distance...

Again...

And you wonder God why we don't attend church regularly?...You and Your practical jokes make

Angelis look like a sweet guy...

"She's barely started to show..." Dawn hissed back at Janice as the teacher turned to the board...

And...She's...Married...

To a very sweet guy...

"No way..."

Way...

"Not that weird blonde guy I used to see her with at night?..." Janice hissed...

"He's not "weird"...He's a poet...And his name is William..." Dawn hissed back...

When the heck did they get...? Whoops...Jan pulled back...

Teacher at two o'clock...End of conversation for now...

Phew...

Having proven equal to the task of diverting several of the female customers surrounding poor

William, Buffy Anne-Cicely Addams Walthrop-Summers had a chance to settle and collect herself

for a mo...

Not quite yet ready to face...

The Mister...?

Huh...So...

I'm Dear...Dear...Wife...Missus...Mrs. Walthrop...?

Cicely...she blinked...

I am Cicely Addams Walthrop...And Buffy Summers...

Whoa...

Time for a break, I'd say...

Well, no...I'm leaving for my Giles' arranged neurology consult in one hour...And the place is,

amazingly enough for a magic shop, getting packed...Gotta do our duty by dear Anya...

Hell, whatdya know...The word about Will and me being here must've got out...At least half our

customers this morning have been curiosity-seeking demons in disguise...

We're a hit...

But I hafta let Will know...I know...

She beamed a warm...A Dear...smile over at him, now again increasingly beleaguered by

customers...But struggling valiantly on...

We do something right?...Spike asked within...

Apparently so...William noted, sending his own warm smile of gratitude back, then turning back to

the three Comez demon triplets in the guise of bratty teenagers who were demanding a look at Giles'

classified stuff locked in the room above the main floor...

"Ladies...I know who you really are...And I will have Mr. Giles expose you if you don't behave

yourselves"... he told them...

Geesch, a very Dawn-ish threesome replied in unison...

C'mon Cherl, we know where we get some decent magics...one huffed...

He really is cute...the second one noted to her "sisters" as they left...

Yeah...All three chorused in unison, looking back at William as they went out the door...

Let him know...Buffy thought...

What?...That I know I sent him away...Killed him?...Condemned him?...

And that he spent a century in torment waiting for me to save him...And I never did...

Oh God...How can I face him?...

But...I don't know yet what really happened that night...Maybe it wasn't all my fault...Maybe...

Maybe offering him Drusilla's severed head would be enough amends...

If only I'd let him kill that psychotic little nun when he had her...

Well...In any case...I have to know more about that night...About Cicely...er me...

And I got work to do...she eyed the stream of customers...

God, what did Anya do?...Drop flyers over Sunnydale?... "The Magic Box welcomes "William the

Bloody" and the Slay..." No...

William Soames Walthrop...And his wife...Buffy-Cicely Anne Addams Walthrop-Summers...

Well...Summers-Walthrop...Much better...

With a last beam at the hubs...She dived into the stream of customers...

Whatever we did, keep on doing it...Spike insisted...

I am the Missus Walthrop...Buffy thought happily...Well, ok maybe a new ceremony is required to

make it legal nowadays...

Gangway for Missus Walthrop...she thought, guiding two...Human, at last...Customers over to the

Cretean idol display...

Knew they'd be a hit...Anya beamed radiantly...

At both the idols and her dedicated new staff...

Bingo...thought Willow, staring at the screen of her laptop...

Hmmn...I need a mo alone with Giles...she looked for him...Now dragged out to the shop floor to

deal with the flood of customers by his partner...

We need to have a leetle talk with the Council of Watchers...

Whoa...Not a bad turnout for a Thursday morning at a magic shop...she thought, seeing the crowd

for the first time...Much of them centered around William and Buffy...

Course this is Sunnydale...And the staff is...Unique...

Romance Palace...Part XXIII...

"Well...? Whatdya think?..." Willow eyed Giles as they sat in his office, away at last from the bustle

in the main room of the Box...

He sighed...

"I think...The Council has been up to its usual games..."

"I can't get through the blocks on these files..." Willow told him... "But Cicely Addams was a

Slayer, no doubt about it..."

Hmm-hmmn, Giles looked at her laptop screen...

Must be somethin' big to have all her Watcher's and nearly all the Council's recorded files on her so

blocked...Willow noted...

"I'll have to make a few calls..." Giles nodded thoughtfully...And smiled at Willow...

Time to call in a few long-standing favors, I'd say...he noted...

"What about her Watcher?...This Farris?...Ever hear of him?..."

Oh yes...Giles eyed her...

I have heard of Simon Farris...he said...Coldly...

Whoa...

Oh, boy...This sounds bad...Willow thought...

And Giles has..."That" look in his eye...

Farris was briefly Chairman of the Council in the late nineteenth century he explained...

It was not a reign that reflected credit on the Council...

"When was he Chairman?..." Willow looked at him...

About 1882 or 3 to 1886, Giles replied...

Hmmn...Just after Cicely's career seems to have ended...Willow noted...

Farris...Giles paused...

Arranged the deaths of two Slayers...Who refused to follow his instructions when called upon to

carry out assassinations...Of his enemies...

Whoa...

"So...The good ole Council took care of him...Expelled him from the Chairmanship, provided

justice, that sort of thing...?" Willow asked...

No...Giles eyed her...

The Council of his day...Sanctioned his actions...

They were only too willing to follow his lead...

"He was killed by a man named Foxcroft...Presumed to be a relative of one of the murdered

Slayers...Or someone else Farris had harmed..."

After his death there were vague attempts to condemn him...Generally along the lines of criticizing

his personal ambition...But his actions against the Slayers went unquestioned...

"He murdered two Slayers...And the Council didn't care...?" Willow stared at Giles...

"The Slayer's obedience was...is the foundation of the Council's authority...And power..." Giles

stared at the wall...

If they lose control of her...They're just a bunch of occult scholars, magicians, and...he smiled

faintly...

Librarians...

And...There is always another Slayer...

"But...The modern Council...Isn't like that?..." Willow paused...

They let her go...

No choice...Giles eyed her...Though we do like to pretend we have more scruples nowadays...

With Buffy the council had to accept the situation and employ patience...Hoping that she will one

day see reason and return to the fold...Or be forced to, of necessity...

The assigned Watcher, it seems...he smiled...Is a rather rebellious fellow himself...

Hmmn...Pondering a customer's question on the freshness of newt eyeballs, Buffy eyed

William...Who was trying to restock the fast depleting table of idols...

Anya's instincts having been quite correct...

No...I can't go into this yet...

I hafta get more info...she looked back towards Giles' office where Willow was emerging...

"Gotta get some info from our top researcher..." she beamed at the customer...

Willow?...she went over...

Ummn...Check on Cicely Addams' background, Buf?...Willow eyed her...

Actually...

"Who's...?" she began innocently...

Anya came over...Caring friend winning out over greedy capitalist...

"Buffy?...Your doctor's appointment is in twenty minutes...Don't forget..."

And...Great job...Both of you...she smiled...Nodding at Will who waved at them with a wry grin...

Again besieged by a bevy of young ladies...Mostly human, Buffy narrowly noted...

Stroller ladies...With their kiddies...Well...

Willow caught her friend's glare...Whoa...

Wants to know about Cicely...And ready to annihilate any female approaching her Will...

Offhand...I'd say Mrs. Walthrop is back in town...

Holy...Willow thought...She didn't come back just because I summoned her...

Mrs. Walthrop had unfinished business here...

Oh...Customer waiting...Buffy thought...

"Anya...The newt eyeballs...?"

Fresh yesterday...she replied...

Customer dealt with she rushed over to help free William from his stroller lady captors...

He tossed a grateful smile...Which she beamed back at double intensity...

Keep it up...Keep...It...Up...Spike growled within...

Whatever poof thing you're doing...

Mrs. Walthrop...The Missus...The Dear Missus...she thought...Smiling at him...

The ole lady, the ball-and-chain... the...

Buffy?...Willow eyed her...

Time to go...Doc's awaiting...

He came over...Taking her hands...

"Good luck, Buffy..." he stared into her eyes...

Let me know as soon as you've finished...he insisted...She nodded...

The beloved wife of...she thought...

Gee...

"You know...Cicely's not a bad name at all..." she quietly noted to Willow as they left...

Ummn...

Romance Palace...Part XXIV...

Part XXIV...

Hmmn...As she strolled the school corridors in "guidance counselor" disguise,

Halfreck mentally reviewed what clever little Dawny had told her...

Cute little thing, trying to pump me for Cicely info...she thought...

But she'd given her more than she'd got by a long shot...

So...Buffy was experiencing Cicely flashes...And seemed quite enthralled with

her dear William...

Once again...But more important...

Even...Perhaps...Somewhat guilty...

Very guilty, considering Dawn's attempts to avoid that shoal...

Natural enough, considering what Cicely would remember of that fateful night...

Hmmn...It might not be worthwhile to make another entrance as Cicely...Or

Buffy...Halfreck thought...

But perhaps...As William?...Or even as honest Halfreck, dutiful...And

truth-telling...Justice demon...And while Buffy was struggling to recover the

past...The sparks of Cicely's guilt could be fanned into a flame...

That would consume her...This time for all time...

I am with a child...Willow thought, frowning at Buffy as they drove towards the

neurologist Giles had booked with...

"I don't see why I have to go..." Buffy groused...

I feel fine...And I know why I'm having these visions now...

"I wanta go get something for William...C'mon Wil..."

"I'll tell you what I found out about the visions..." she slyly added...Smiling

at her friend...

Buffy...Willow sighed...You promised you'd see the doctor today...Giles went to

a lot of trouble to arrange an appointment so quick...

And Anya let you off...

Buffy frowned...But was silent...

Ah...Duty...Willow thought...That got her...

"O...K..." Buffy groused...

But I don't need him...Now...

Willow sighed...Eyeing her as she made a hard right to Forsyth St...

Clem's neurologist it was...And a excellent choice at that...

"Buffy...How can you "know" you don't need a doctor?..."

Ok...Leetle curiosity behind that one...Willow had to admit...

But Buf had been acting so..."Cicely friendly" all of a sudden...

What had she learned...?

They pulled up to the doc's...

"Willow..." Buffy paused...

"I have to tell you something before we go in...But you hafta promise not to

say a word..."

"Especially not to (my beloved husband, father of my child...er children, she

thought)...William..."

And...she grinned...If I give this out...

You gotta promise to give me twenty minutes in the nearest men's store when

we're done here...

"See..." Buffy noted as they stepped out from the neurologist's office...

Piece of cake...

"Abnormal EEG tracings?..." Willow eyed her...

"He said it was probably stress and anxiety..." Buffy pointed out...

Both of which...I've had aplenty this year...she noted...

"Besides...Anyone with an active past life memory bank is bound to have a lot

going on in there..."

Piece of cake...she concluded happily...

And the babbie's brain's fine as well...

We said "babbie" more than "baby" in the nineteenth century, you know...she

explained...

Willow blinking at her as they headed to the car...

Buffy paused...Grinning at her friend...Raising her brows...

"Call me Cicely, Wil...I want to hear it..."

Buffy...Willow rolled her eyes...

This kick you're on is very cute...And it's great that you're taking your

Cicely nature so calmly...

But...

"C'mon...Just once..."

O...K...Willow nodded, groaning under her breath...

But don't tell Giles I encouraged you...

"Cicely?...How ya doin'?..." Willow asked Buffy... "Twenty-first century

treating you all right?..."

"Great, Ms. Rosenberg..." Buffy grinned back...Rubbing her tummy...Hey there

little Will or Amelia...Please God, another Amelia...With our first little

girl's soul...

"Just great..."

Willow shook her head...

"Ok...Now do..."

No...Willow hastily replied...As they reached the car door...

No way...

There is no way I'm calling you Mrs. Walthrop...

Dawn had fidgeted her way through Algebra, History and English, waiting for

lunch and a chance to call the Box...

Not that she wanted to spill to Buffy just yet...

What Halfreck had told her...What little she'd told her...Dawn groused

within...

Sounded potentially explosive if handled improperly...

Not that she took it at face value, of course...

That Buffy...er Cicely had willingly made the wish that sent poor Will to his

death and more importantly, his damnation...?

No way...Well, at least...Not likely...

I hope...

Unless of course Cicely had been some utterly clueless type...Like say that

Emma from the movie...The one they made "Clueless" from...Directed by

that...What's her name...? Jane Austin...?

And had had no idea of the possible consequences...

Oh...But she was the Slayer...Even then...

And the chosen bride of William Soames Walthrop...Who clearly preferred a brain

in his permanent mate at least...

Not that she would ever suggest that Harmony was prettier...Dawn loyally

thought...

Still...They did wear corsets back then...And hers could have cut off the

oxygen to the brain for one fatal moment...On one fatal night...

In any case, this was vital info...Acquired by Special Agent Dawn Summers...And

had to be gotten to Spymaster Watcher Giles and his top researcher Willow

asap...

Just hope he's not too pissed about my calling Halfreck...

"Lets see..." Buffy eyed the rack of ties thoughtfully...

I think the blue and gold...she mused aloud...

Goes so well with his eyes...

Willow watching in shock...

Mrs. Walthrop shopping for the hubs...

Poor sweetie needed just about everything...After what had happened to his old

place...

And he couldn't wear Xander's hand-me-downs forever...

She turned to Willow...Unsure...

"Wil...? Does he have a watch?...Did you notice?..."

Ummn...

Well...One hundred twenty-two years of missed birthdays, Xmases, and...Willow

gulped...

Anniversaries...

"Think there'd be time to get this inscribed?..." Buffy asked, raising a

wrist-watch to Willow's view...

Ummn...

Romance Palace...Part XXV...

Part XXV...

Hiring William Soames Walthrop and...Aw, she had to think it at least, just once... "Mrs.

Walthrop"... had been the best idea she had in months, Anya happily noted to Xander at lunch

break...Sparing her nervous honey the "Mrs. Walthrop" part...

Especially if it meant Xander would be coming to the shop for lunch for the next month or so...she

thought contentedly...To check on William...

"Any word yet?..." William came over, looking a bit anxious...

After all, as an even more nervous, in fact rather freaking Spike had been pointing out

within...Steadily for the last hour...On their favorite soap opera a "joyous lovers reuniting" situation

like this would inevitably end with the discovery of a fatal brain tumor or degenerative neural

disease...

Buf had been having these wonky bits and flashes since being resurrected...the demon had been

constantly reminding his "brother"...

And it would be just the style of the Powers That Be to take away with one hand what they cruelly

held out with the other...

A point William had to agree with...

Unless of course the consulting neurologist turned out to be some lout of a ridiculously tall, muscle-

bound, square-jawed Angel imitator...Equally dangerous, Spike noted...

Likewise a point William had to agree with...

"Nothing yet, Will..." Xander rather kindly replied...

Why don't you sit down and have some lunch?...he went on...

"She's gonna be just fine..."

William nodded a bit abstractedly...And sat in the chair Xander pulled back for him...

Just a leetle worried...You know...She has been dead...And all that fighting...It takes a toll...

"She'll be fine..." Xander repeated, sympathetically... "Remember, we know what these visions are

all about...This is just a little precautionary check..."

Right...Right...Will fidgeted a bit in his chair...

Thanks...he smiled at Xander...

Anya blinked...And grinned...

What?...Xander eyed her...

"Oh...Just..." she bobbed her head at him, grinning happily...

You're a good brother, Xander Harris...she teased him...

Indeed...William seconded, with a smile...Turning back to the table and grabbing a sandwich...

Xander blinking...Brot...?

"Ummn...William?..." Anya paused...Dropping her voice a notch...

There's some extra blood downstairs in the fridge if you need it...I had Clem bring it in this morning

while you and Buffy were working...

"That's very kind of you...Boss..." Will grinned at her...Casting a sly look at Xander...That turned

serious for just a moment...

Give me my fair chance, Alexander...But...Don't ever forget...

"I'm set for now, though...Maybe before I leave for Doublemeat this afternoon..."

"Doublemeat?..." Xander pulled up short...Coughing up part of his sandwich...

You're working at Doublemeat Palace?...You...?

Knew he was the responsible type...Anya thought...Patting Xander on the back...

I have an instinct for this sort of thing in my employees...

Ok...Buffy nodded sheepishly at Willow...Eyeing the stack of bags and boxes...

It was a bit...Much...

But heck they were each working two jobs now...

And William needed clothes...

Hmmn...You know, Willow thought...I'm not half so much worried by the amount she bought as I

am by the way she had all his exact sizes memorized...

"Guess we better head on back..." Buffy noted...

A leetle nervous, Willow noticed...

And quiet now...

They headed back to the car, Buffy in serious thought mode...

Willow too busy struggling with the purchased goods...Well, couldn't let Mommie here strain

herself, ludicrous as that thought seems now...To think much more about the situation...

"Well..." she sighed as they finally got in and buckled... "Off we go..."

Yeah...Buffy looked ahead out the windshield...Abstractedly...

"Ummn...Willow...?"

"He'll love the stuff, Buf...The ties were a perfect choice..."

Hmmn...Yeah?...Thanks...But...

Buffy twisted her hands anxiously...

"Buffy?..." Willow held the key back a second...

"Wil...Why did I do it?..." Buffy looked at her...And burst into tears...

Ummn...Well...Buf...I know you kinda broke the budget on this one...But, we still have the

receipts...Willow noted...

No...Willow...Buffy eyed her...

"I condemned him..." she sobbed...

"I sent him to his death..."

Oh...

"Buffy...We don't know that..." Willow began...

He told me...Years ago...Cicely sent him away...Rejected him...

"We were married...And I rejected him..." Buffy sobbed...

Well...Willow patted her back, hugging her...

You didn't sink fangs into his neck and leave him for dead...

"I could have saved him...I was the Slayer..."

I didn't even release him...

"Well...Buffy...And..er Cicely..." Willow eyed her, pulling back...

You love him, right?...

She tearfully nodded...

Great, now I'm encouraging this...Willow thought...

"Ok then..." Willow sighed...

Obviously...You...er Cicely...Musta loved him then...Right?...

Yeah...Buffy paused...Nodding...

But I didn't even try to help him when he made it back to me...Found me here in Sunnydale after a

century...she resumed sobbing...

Hmmn...Great...Pregnant resurrected Slayer with romantic...Hell, might as well go all the

way...marital...problems adding to the natural depression...Willow sighed within...

"Buffy...You didn't know...How could you have known...It was only after..."

Buffy eyed her...Whoops...

Whaat?...Willow looked at her...

"You all think this thing with Spike...and William...Only started after I was resurrected?..." Buffy

eyed her...

Willow blinked at her...

"Willow...Why do you guys think that Riley left?..." Buffy asked her...

What?...

"Well...Buffy...Xander said that Riley told him...He knew you didn't...Love...Him..."

And you guys all assumed it was because of Angel...? Buffy eyed her...

What...? Willow choked...

"One night, three years ago..." Buffy paused... "We were...Ummn...Together...and I woke up

screaming...In bed...With Riley..."

Do you know who I was screaming for?...Buffy stared at her...

I do now...Oh my God...Willow thought...

"Why...Why didn't you tell us?..." she looked at Buffy...

I...I thought it was an aftereffect of your will spell...Buffy eyed her...

You know, when you nearly got us hitched...

Re-hitched at that...Buffy giggled at the thought a mo through her tears...

"Well...That's what I told Riley anyway..."

But he knew...Somehow...Though he was kind enough not to force me to face it...

That's why he wanted to play with vamp fire...Try to understand what it could be that was

pulling me to Spike...

Might have been kind enough to tell us...Willow thought...

'Course we probably would've staked Spike immediately...Still...

"I couldn't deal...With the idea I cared for...Spike..." Buffy noted...

But I didn't even try...Didn't ask Giles to try...Something, anything...

"And then...All last year...He was calling to me...I could feel William in there..."

And still I did nothing...Not one thing...

"Spike had every reason to take advantage of me...Kill me...Hell, it would have been the natural

thing to do...Giving a fellow demon a crack at the world and getting a new vamp mate in the

process..."

But instead...He fought his nature...At every opportunity...

And saved me...

And now...I know...William fought for a century to stay in this world...To reach me...

And I did...Nothing...

"No..." she paused... "That's not true...I did something all right..."

I sent him into this torment...

"Buffy...Has he blamed you?...Accused you?..." Willow frowned...

Certainly not...Buffy glared...

What do you mean by that?...she eyed Willow narrowly...

William would never...she began...Rather fiercely...

Protectively...

Whoa...The Missus resents criticism of the Mister...Better note that down...Willow thought...

Giles emerged from his office...Something in his manner suggesting this was not the day to suggest

that full review of the books Anya had been looking forward to...

"Will...?" he paused eyeing William...

Something's up...Spike noted within...Ripper's got that... "Somebody needs to involuntarily die for

my Buffy and I'm here to help" look...

"Might I see you upstairs for a moment?..."

Anya...? Spike called from within...Could you ask good ole Xan to join us...?

Know he's been anxious to participate more in the high level stuff...And as a senior member of the

team...Hell, the Slayer's second-in-command and sack mate...I say...It's time...

No need to panic...Poof-boy...William grinned within...

"Giles...Wouldn't...?" Xander eyed Anya, after William and Giles had left...

Stake him...? Anya looked up at Giles' office...

"Hmmn...Not while Buffy still finds him sponge worthy..."

But he is upset about something...she noted...

Perhaps a tad irritated...Gee...she looked at her Xander...

Spike gets a little Williamy with the soul and all and Giles is suddenly holding high-level staff

conferences with him?...

"Mrs. Walthrop" not being the only member of the team who resented even potential, implied

criticism of her significant other...

Well...? William waited for Spike's reply...As he and Giles descended back to the main shop room...

Unnh...Spike growled within...

Kinda makes ya wanta treat a guy with a leetle more respect, eh, bro...?

To be targeted by the Watchers' Council for assassination...Not too shabby, I'd say...William went

on...

Only for the Cicely connection, poof...Spike growled back...

You happened to stumble into their gunsights when our Cicely took us up...

"Well?..." Anya looked at the two...

Do we get in on the big secret?...her look clearly saying...

Xander was more inclined towards relief that Will had returned in one piece...

Much as he hated to admit it...Buffy needed her...You know...just now...

"I'm sorry to have excluded you and Xander, Anya..." Giles replied...

But I needed to discuss the situation with William...And I think I should speak to Buffy before the

rest of you...

Sorry, pet...Spike noted to her from within...

Junior members excluded...Until otherwise...

Great...Anya thought back...

Then you won't be needing Xander to protect you, I'm sure...

Hmmn...Harris was a rather large target...Maybe...

So...Anya grinned within, keeping a noncommital look on Giles...It does involve a threat to you and

Buffy...

"I promise you both...As soon as I've spoken to Buffy, I'll tell you what I know..." Giles eyed

Xander and Anya...

A rather dark look in his face...

Must be preety bad...Anya noted to Spike...

Haven't seen Giles like that since he...

Oh...So you know about young Benny-boy, do you?...Spike replied...

Ripper was in rare form that day...

"Ok.." Xander sighed...

"It's more me than Buffy, Xander..." William eyed him...

But...Don't worry...As far as she's involved...We'll keep her safe...

"And I count on your help in that..."

Giles nodded quietly...

Naturally...Anya groaned within...

Everybody turns to Xander...Expects him to do the impossible...Without proper briefing or

instruction...

Well...she eyed her mate proudly...

He's done the impossible...Saved the world...Rescued and is in the process of re-rescuing a lost

soul...

Whatever little crisis this...Piece of cake...

Though his devoted spouse-in-waiting will be on guard, gentlemen...

By the way...Will eyed Xander...Now preparing to head back out to work...

How bad was it?...

Hmmn...Xander looked at him...But knowing...Having expected this one all day...

Knew the "bum alternator" story would never hold up...

"How bad...?" he replied...

The car...William paused...

"How much damage did she do...?"

Spike waiting breathlessly...Not a difficult feat actually...

Well...Ummn...

"Dents?..." Will sighed...

Oh my demon God...Spike moaned...

A...Few...Xander admitted...

Little ones, really...he insisted...

"Just a mo..." Will raised a hand...

Xander looked at Anya...What?...

Poor Spike...she shook her head...It's terrible...

It's so sad when a maniacal killer demon cries...she sighed to Xander...

"It's ok..." Will noted, looking down...

Only an old car...

"I took it to Herb Edson..." Xander hastily replied, a sad-eyed Anya staring at him...

If you think Will looks sad...

The Herb Edson?...Spike called from within...

The one human being on Earth I might hesitate to kill even without the chip?...For the sake of

preserving his skill...

"I thought Herb Edson had a six months waiting list..." Giles looked at Xander...

Last time I tried him anyway...he frowned...

Ole pal...Owes me one...Xander noted...

Harris...You are a Prince...Spike joyfully cried within...

"Spike feels better...That was very nice of you, honey..." Anya patted his hand...

Indeed...Will grinned...

"Hey!..." Buffy called from the shop door, Willow following with her load...

William and Giles hopped up...Xander and Anya following...

"Alls well more or less brainwise..." Buffy told them...

No short circuits...she grinned at Will who'd hurried over to her...Taken her hands...

He nodded...Sighing...

Ask about the lout of a doc...Spike insisted within...

We stopped off to pick up a few things for Babbie and Will...Buffy indicated the struggling

Willow...

Ummn...Xander eyed her...As he tried to help the staggering Willow...

Babbie?...his look said...As he glanced at Will...

"Will knows Xander..." she grinned at him...

"Go on, congratulate the future papa..."

Whoa...Willow eyed the now blank-eyed, blinking William...

Papa?...He was clearly choking on that one...

Whoa...Willow grinned at the others...William the Bloody decked...And we are there...

I mean...It was one thing to know...And quite another to be hit in the gut with it like that...

Our Slayer hasn't lost it with him yet...she thought...

Romance Palace...Part XXVI...

That place that you can't remember...

And you can't forget...

Part XXVI...

A startled William was under a steady deluge of Buffy gifts...

Buffy thoroughly engaged in carefully gauging his reaction to each opened box...

Giles and Xander watching in some amusement...

"Oh...Willow..." Anya pulled her back and into a corner...

Dawn called...A few minutes after you and Buffy left...

She wanted you to call her at school...Have her pulled out of class to speak to you...But don't tell

Buffy or let her hear...

"Aunt Willow"...Anya grinned...

It really did sound important Anya noted...

And it concerns Halfreck...But she didn't want to tell anyone but Giles or you...And she preferred

you...

Really...? Willow thought...

Guess I'm back on Dawny's A list at last...And back in the loop to boot...

Me...Before Giles ?

Wait a mo...Halfreck!...What the...Dawn!...

Besides...she thought, grousing a bit...Dawny knows Giles would never pull her out of class to

talk...Unless the world was about to end and only she had the secret code to start the world-ending

reversal spell...

Only ole "Aunt" Willow would be soft-headed enough to...

Still, back in the loop...With privileged info...From both the sisters Summers...Like old times...

And best of all...she smiled at Anya...The guys trust me again...Not that they ever suggested

otherwise...But...

And a perfectly understandable "but" given what I remember of World Destroying Maniac

Willow...

They were being cautious around me...

Thank God the life of Buffy Summers/Cicely Addams Walthrop allows very little time for such

things...And the philosophy of one Rupert Giles is to throw you right back into the stream of life...

Buffy's treated me these last few days...Just the way she always did...Bending my ear the first night

he came back with her fears...And hopes...For William...And today...Turning to me first with the

Cicely story, looking to me for absolution over her shame and guilt about poor Will...

Welcome home, Willow...she thought...Smiling a bit...

Gee...If only...she sighed a mo...Pausing...

But Life goes on...

And Eternity does exist...Waiting for us...At the right time...With the people we love...

And our Buffy and Will are the living proof...

Shalom, my love...I will see you again...At the right time...Courtesy my other love...God praise and

bless him...

For now, rejoice with us from Heaven for poor Will's salvation...And our friends' chance for

renewed love...

Well, Dawny's "big news" is awaitin' and I've lots of amends to be makin'...

"I'll call from the back storeroom..." she told Anya...

Buffy had carted away the gifts to Will's basement with Xander's help in record time...There still

being a couple of hours left until Doublemeat duty the least she could do, given Anya's kind

indulgence of her little "Xmas" in August for William was get back to Box duty asap...

"Did he like them?...He did like them?...Right?..." she nervously hissed at Xander as they took the

last load...

In the room William was quietly, joyfully staring at the inscribed wrist-watch Buffy had given him...

He definitely liked the watch...As Giles now noted to Anya...

"It's..." Will paused...Hesitating...Unable to go on...

My God...Spike was murmuring within...

After all...he was a part of William...And this was Big...

"Will...?" Anya looked at him...

My God...Spike continued...William looking at the inscription...

Spike?...Anya thought...

"Is something wrong Will?..." Giles stared at him...

Well, of course only natural the boy would take this rather effusive display of Buffy's affection

strongly...

And his natural English reserve had been sorely tried over the past century...

"I...Have something to get...For Buffy..." he paused...

From my stuff...Excuse me...

She remembered...She remembered, Anya...Spike had to tell someone else...

Remembered?...Oh right...Yeah I guess she's accepted Cicely as part of her...Anya thought back...

No, you moron...The inscription...Wait a mo...Spike groused back...As William reached the

basement stairs just as Buffy and Xander returned...

"Ummn...Will...?" Buffy paused...

"Everything was ok?...You didn't hate it all?..."

He kissed her check...Wait...he whispered...

"My turn..."

He turned and went downstairs...

"Interesting inscription on the watch..." Giles noted as she and Xander came back to the others...

Customer...Anya noted as the door chimed...

Buffy dutifully hastening over...

"Just came to me...All of sudden..." she briefly looked back to Giles...

"Eternity is ours..." That was a nice inscription...Anya thought...

"Yes..." Willow sighed into the cell phone... "Her aunt, Ms. Rosenberg..."

Dawny...This had better be...

"Yes, it is important...Please..."

Cause Buf will have my head...Skin me alive...

Hmmn...Odd thought just passed through my head...

Like deja-vu, kinda...

Eehew...Is that how I did in Big Baddy?...Skinned him...?

Guess I coulda been angry enough...It was my Tara after all...Still...

Eehew...God I have no desire at all for Giles to pull that memory block any sooner than he feels it's

time...In fact...

"Thank you..." she replied to the school secretary...Who promised to have Dawn paged...

Customer dutifully served, Buffy waited...Looking at the others...

"You really think he liked everything?..." she hopefully asked Anya...The third person in a row...

Sure...

Hmmn...She's nervous too...Anya realized...Sensing something big...

What's up?...

A thought echoed by Xander...Who looked at his mate quizzically...

She shrugged...Spike's keeping mum...

William came back upstairs...

Holding a small packet...

"Before..." he paused...Looking back into the shop...Good, no customers at present...

Before I give this to you, Buffy...he looked at her firmly...

"I am Spike as well as William...And Spike is William as well as Spike..."

It's important you understand that...We may be separate to some extent owing to the nature of our

transformation...

But he is my id...Given form and substance...My instinctual nature...Minus Reason and

Conscience...

Hey...I'm not retarded you know...Spike groused within...

Hmmn...Xander thought...So the Hellmouth is kinda like the Big Machine in "Forbidden

Planet"?...Powering the id monsters into reality?...

"I understand William..." Buffy replied quietly...Smiling at him...But looking more nervous than

ever...

We all have a dark side...

And no one can fight theirs off, once it's been released as a demon...she noted firmly...Eyeing the

others...

"All I can do...Is promise you I will never willingly let Spike run the show again..." he paused...

The thanks I get...Spike growled...

"And swear to you...That I did what little I could to influence him..."

Million times better than Liam she thought loyally...

Well, mustn't blame Angel for my mistake...Somehow instinctively thinking I'd found my souled

vampire...

"I kept this...Somehow..." William began...

Hey!...

"Well, we kept it..."

He put the packet in her hand...

She trembled...Somehow knowing...

And unwrapped it...

Looking at it in wonder...

My God...Anya looked at it...And the waiting William...

Buffy held the ring up to the light...Tears running down her face...

She dropped it...Oh...Oh...she fell to her knees...

Hunting desperately on the floor to find...Ah...Got it...

She held it tightly...Swaying...

Buffy?...Xander looked at her...

She raised a hand...Will came towards her...

She put out both hands...Waving them to block him off...

"I...Oh, Will..."

"What I have done?..." she cried, sobbing...

She raced back and headed for the front of the shop...

Buffy...William called to her gently...

"No...No..." she sobbed...Putting the ring down on the front table, she raced out the door...

"Cicely...!" Will ran for the door...

No!...Will!...Xander did the 20 ft dash...Grabbing him back as he struggled with the door...

"You can't go out, Will!" he held him back...

She'll be ok...She'll be fine...She's just trying to deal...Give her time...

You're no good to her burned alive...

First rate advice there, bro!...Spike cried within...

Will got hold of himself and nodded...Right...

"Thanks...Little too much humanity surfacing just then..." he grinned wanly...

Anya...? Xander called to her...

"On it...Don't worry Will..." she called...

Stop looking at Xander's...and move it, girl...Spike cried...

Anya vanished...

Giles came over...Putting a hand on Will's shoulder...

"I thought she was ready...Honestly, Rupert..."

"Perhaps she was Will..." Giles noted... "At least as ready as she could ever be..."

Xander's right...Just give her some time and space...

He nodded...

Xander picked up the ring on the desk...

"Eternity is ours" the inscription read...

"Cicely..."

Your wedding band?...Giles asked...

Will nodded...

Even Spike couldn't wear it while...he paused...But we kept it...

We thought one day...We might want it again...

Romance Palace...Part XXVII...

Clip:

"Mr. Walthrop!...Stop!..." Cicely cried to him in a startlingly loud voice...

He halted, staring back at her...

"I am talking to you!...Where...Are...You...Going?..."

In five words or less...Sir...she frowned...

Five words, eh...? Walthrop glared back...

"Out...For...A ..." Walthrop began...

Buffy blinked...God damn...

Spike, you little fraud...

Part XXVII...

A distraught Buffy wandered downtown Sunnydale...

His wedding band...The one I gave him...

He kept it...All these years...

"Eternity is ours..." My choice...

A pledge kept for exactly two days on my part...

But Willow...

Willow said I must have loved him then...To love him so now...

I did love him then...I know it...

But...Oh God why did I send him away?...She looked down the street...Pausing...

"Miss Addams..." the slender young man nodded at her...An annoyed look on his face...

William...? Yes, that was it...William...

She frowned a bit...The household footmen Smike and Squears who had been lounging out on the

back portico with Henry's "friend" eyed her...She repeated a thinly veiled "suggestion" that they

resume their duties...

The two got up...Smike in an especially impudent mood...

"Well...Be seeing you, mate...Maybe we'll stop by at that..." Smike cast a brief leer at Miss

Addams...

"480 Merriweather St...Thursday night at eight..." Walthrop replied...

See you there mates...

The two sauntered back inside...Cicely glared at them...

She'd also caught the tail end of Mr. Walthrop's little performance...As she had come in to see about

Henry's little guest...And where those two lazy oafs had gotten off to...

As the strutting Miss Addams...

Regally bowing to all and sundry as she made her little procession...Accepting the natural adoration

of her male peers...Awaiting the doffing of caps and the bowing and scraping of her inferiors...

"Ah...Mr...er...Pardonnez-moi while my maid fetches my opera glasses so I might have a look at

you...Ah...yes..." In high falsetto voice Walthrop had thrown his head back and looked down his

nose...A rather good imitation at that... "Mr...Wal...trop?..."

Much to Smike and Squears' amusement, obviously...

She turned back to little Walthrop...Barely taller than she, she amusedly noted...

If rather beautiful eyes...Staring deep into one...

The people cousin Henry takes under his wing...Still...dear Henry did admire the little...

A bit of a rough diamond he'd called him...But...A true and worthy friend...With a bright future...

And anyone admired by Henry Alexander Foxcroft was usually worthy...she had to admit...

"Fomenting revolution in our household, Mr...Walthrop?..." she unconsciously had thrown her

head back and looked down her nose at him...

"We were just talking, Miss Addams...I wanted to hear about their lives..."

"And encourage them to attend some meeting of radicals?..."

He eyed her...Truculent but a bit off balance...Had she heard his little performance?...

Hardly radicals, Miss Addams...Just a meeting of students, thinkers, and workingmen and -women...

"Socialists?...Communists?...Or just Anarchists?..." she smiled at him...

Amazed she knew there was a difference he thought, looking at her sourly...

"Even the dogs in the street have a right to meet occasionally Miss Addams...And try to better their

lives a little..." he replied coldly...

"I see...And is making fun of us...My cousin who's been so kind to you...And me...In front of our

staff...Another right of the "dogs in the street"...?" she asked...Sweetly...Turning to glaring stone at

the end...

Self-righteous little...If I could have him on the receiving end of my stake one night for thirty

seconds...she thought...I'd teach him a lesson or two about making snap judgments of people...

Quite a glare there...Walthrop noted to himself...

But was angry in a moment...Thankfully angry...Considering how she'd thrown him off balance,

putting him in the wrong...

Not to mention...Well...He still wasn't used to dealing with women like this...

Especially wondrously beautiful women like this...

"I wasn't making fun of...Your cousin..." Walthrop paused...Eyeing her...

Henry is my friend...I don't make fun of my friends...Even if they are rather of the "toff"

persuasion...

He's a good sort...And can't help the inbred toff in his bones...

"I see..." she eyed him coldly...So...

"Buffy?..." Anya suddenly appeared in front of her...By a partially hidden corner of a building...

Buffy blinked...

Damn...

Well?...Dawn paused on her end of the line...

Hmmn..."Aunt" Willow frowned at the phone...

"Do you think it's true?" Dawn asked...

Well...I believe Halfreck had a hand in whatever happened that night, Dawny...Willow replied...

But...I can't believe Buffy...er Cicely...Simply turned on him because she'd gotten nervous about

marrying a poor man...Suddenly despised him...

Hate spell...? Dawn suggested...

Doubt it...Haly would have to have had Cicely's approval to act...

Well...Dawn noted...Remember that actress, Gillian Anderson?...And the TeeVee Guide episode a

few years back...?

Dissed her own still-husband...In TeeVee Guide of all places...

It can happen...

True...Willow had to agree...

Though I wouldn't diss my worst enemy in TV Guide...Heck I'd even try to say something non-

committal about Angelis...she thought...

Still...Dawn hesitated...Buffy wouldn't hurt someone she loved like that...

She couldn't...

Hell...She wouldn't even do it to that weasel, Jonathan...

"And she loves Will, doesn't she?..."

Xander came into the stockroom...Waving a bit...

Trouble...Willow realized immediately...

"Yes..." No point in prevaricating...

"She does Dawny...And I'm positive...She did..."

Buffy...Xander mouthed to her...She waved him over...

Gone...He whispered in her ear...

"Will gave her...His old wedding ring...

She freaked and ran..."

Uh-boy...

"An's after her..."

Whoa...Wedding ring?...Spike, er Will...Had his old wedding ring?...she thought, blinking at

Xander...

"Willow?...Anything wrong?..." Dawn raised her voice...

No...Xander just came in to tell me something...she replied...

My...Rather nice to feel ole Xan's warm breath on my ear again...

Down, girl...Happily almost married man and dear brother there...Willow told herself...Sternly...

"Willow?..." Dawn was getting irked...

Right...Duty calls...Willow looked at the phone...

"Everything's ok here, Dawny...As to Cicely..."

Dawn rolling her eyes at the phone...Geesch what the hell do they take me for...?

"I think Cicely was trying to protect Will, Dawny..." Willow continued, pondering... "Maybe from

her enemies...Maybe from her family..."

She was pregnant then, too...Dawn told her...

What?...Willow looked at the phone...

Xander stared at her...What's up...?

Cicely died in childbirth six months after William was killed...Dawn explained...

"The baby died too..." Dawn added...Sadly...

I must really thank that demon for her tact and good sense in telling this to Dawny...Willow frowned

at the phone...

She pulled away from the phone, giving Xander a nod...

"I'll be with you guys in a minute, Xander..." she whispered...

He nodded and left her...

My he sure smelled nice...she thought...Looking after him...

But a pledge is a pledge...Hmmn...

Molecular biology...That's the field for me...

That cloning and all...Yeah...

"I'm ok now, Anya..." Buffy eyed her...

You can go back...I'm just gonna walk over to Doublemeat...

"Will is so worried, Buffy...Spike too..." Anya paused...

Spike is Will...Buffy replied...Of course they're both worried...

"I'll see him at work in an hour...Tell him it's ok...I'm fine..."

It just threw me, that's all...I need some time to think...

"And...Tell him...I'm glad, really..."

"About the ring..."

Anya nodded...

I'll see him at Doublemeat...

Anya looked at her...

"You had another long vision, didn't you?...Just now..."

Wish it had been a little longer...Buffy thought, frowning...

"Yeah..."

Buffy...Anya paused...

"Be careful...These memories are coming back in pieces...Don't make any decisions based on a

fragment or two of the past..."

You and Will are together again...With a chance...Don't let a confused memory or two ruin that...

"And above all...If Halfreck comes to you..."

Halfreck?...Buffy stared at Anya...

Why Halfreck?...What about her?...

Ummn...Anya looked nervously away...

Oops...

She didn't know what to do about Will...Then...Dawn was summing up to "Aunt" Willow...

She doesn't now...

"Halfreck said she was pregnant then...She is now..." Dawn noted...

She loved him then...

She does now...

And Halfreck got involved...

And she's here now...

Buffy made the wrong decision then... "We can't know that, Dawn..." Willow hastily interjected...

Lost him...And died...Dawn concluded...Waiting...

"Whatever happened in 1880..." Willow hesitated... "Doesn't have to happen again..."

There are differences, Dawny...

"Cicely and Will faced obstacles...They didn't even know about..."

"Will is able to protect himself...Much better this time..."

Lord, thanks to Spike of all things...she thought...

She paused...Well...Dawn knows as much or more than most of us already...

"Giles and I have learned a few things about what happened..."

Halfreck...Buffy thought...Staring at a sheepish Anya...As they sat, Anya having persuaded Buffy to

stop for a snack and something to drink...

Babbie, you know...

Oh...Gee...Anya sighed within...

Xander is gonna be so pissed with me...

God...Of course, Buffy thought...Dawn is part of me...Made from me...

Halfreck isn't her "justice" demon...

She's...Mine...

Ok...Spike whispered nervously within...

Now...The other side...

Both brothers holding their breath...Considerably easier for Spike, of course...Though not really a

problem for William...

"Well?..." Xander eyed him...

A Prince, I said...Spike noted within...A worthy friend...

A regular Henry Foxcroft...

Indeed, William agreed...The ole girl looks wonderful...Untouched...

"Xander, thanks..." he turned back to the waiting Xander...Where he stood by the side of Herb

Edson's garage...Having brought Will over for the car in his under several coats and blankets...

From both of us...William grinned...Rubbing his hand along the ole girl's side...

"Buffy really didn't do too much damage..." Xander loyally noted...

She just didn't realize...

With a classic like this...

A classic...the waiting Herb echoed reverently...

"It was an honor to work on her..." he noted...As Will thanked him profusely...

"You can't trust her, Buffy..." Anya pleaded...As they walked along...Trying to repair the potential

damage...

Any info she may give you is sure to be slanted towards destroying you...

"But she's the only one who can tell me...What really happened that night..." Buffy noted...

The only one who could give me my full memories back...

Oh...Anya sighed...Why did I have to mention Haly...?

"It's getting late...I've got to get to Doublemeat..." Buffy eyed Anya...

I won't do anything without letting you guys know...she promised...

"Please Buffy...At least let me walk you over..." Anya begged...

And leave you safe with Will...she thought...At least for tonight...

While Giles, Xander, Willow, and I deal with Haly...

O...K...Buffy grinned at her...

But...I want to learn more about Cicely...So if I drift off...

Don't pull me out too fast...Just don't let me walk into a car...

"Take this..." Dawn handed the newly arrived Clem...Baby-sitting...er demon rehab night while

Slayer did Doublemeat duty...A crossbow...

She'd followed "Aunt" Willow's instructions to the letter...And gone home after school instead

of demanding to join the others at the shop...For "Operation Halfreck"...

A leetle too willing to follow her instructions, Willow had wondered...But as long as she'd be safe at

home while they summoned Haly, forced answers from her...And her...Allies...

And settled "the Walthrop case" once and for all...

A two-front attack, Dawn explained to Clem...Who nodded...

Sanctioned by the Slayer, of course...she lied...

While the gang at the Box prepared their thing to save Buffy and Will from whatever malicious plot

Halfreck had in store, she and her assistant would keep demon lady occupied...And diverted from

any chance of using the past to hurt the Slayer and her William...Until the Box gang was ready to

finish the job...

It's...What a good sis...And sis-in-law..Does...she noted...Clem nodding...

Well...Long as Slayer's ok'd it...

Hmmn...

Anya blinked...Looking at the frowning Buffy, now in Doublemeat uniform...Well...

Of course...He is a former Cambridge man...

Buffy's beaming smile on seeing Will having faded as the afternoon manager, Flo...Had explained

that Mr. Walthrop, who'd just come from England...Was her new...

"Manager?... "Buffy glowered... "$%&*ing manager!"

"Him...?..."

Only assistant manager...William noted...

"What did you do to her?..." she glared at him...

Sleep with her?...

"Buffy..." Flo looked at her in shock...

Thankfully no customers or other staff in earshot...

Not that the thought hadn't occurred to her...Mr. Walthrop being far and away the most dashing

thing to enter Doublemeat since that mysterious tall Man in Black had visited Buffy here a few

months ago...

He was hired by Mr. Yelvin himself...Last night...Flo noted sternly...

And you're...

"Training him?..." Buffy glared...

Hell, why not...I've been "training" him for the past two years almost every night on...

Flo stared at her...

Hey?...Spike was hurt...I never needed any...

"Ms. Rhoades..." William interrupted...

Let me explain...

I'm...Ms. Summers' fiancee...Mr. Yelvin was kind enough to let me take some shifts with her as

she's...

Oh...Flo's face fell a notch...

Well, at least it was nice to know she wouldn't have to pretend ignorance of Ms. Summer's

condition any longer...

And wait until the dayshift heard this...

Buffy rolled her eyes...Right, tell everyone...

Whoa...Fiancee...?...

Why...Will?...A smile came up...Another frown immediately following in rapid succession...

Geesch...Might have asked me, first...If I remember correctly...I asked you before telling Henry...

Thought I did have the rings ready...

Anya was staring...Wow...

Buffy shook it off...That "assistant manager" thing was still sticking in her craw...Not that she

blamed Will, mind you...Just...

Geesch...

A glass ceiling...At Doublemeat Palace?...

God...

Cicely frowned and looked at the little Mr. Walthrop...

Who had decided to terminate their rather angry discussion...

She having accused him of being a rather classic example of a self-righteous, self-proclaimed

working class hero...

An intellectual snot...Who'd probably never seen the inside of a factory...Walthrop choking,

remembering his years slaving in the Brusset bottle works...

While he had noted her unfortunate "priggish" tendencies...Questioning as to whether she had ever

known anyone or thing outside her little circle of fellow prigs...

A conversation she was actually rather...Enjoying...

"My cousin will be expecting to find you here, Mr. Walthrop..." she glared at him...

Oh...Don't go...she thought...

You ungrateful little...

"Please tell Henry I'll be back later..." he stubbornly replied...Turning away from her...And moving rather swiftly to the door of the back garden...

"Where are you going?...Henry will be coming in a few moments..." she called...

Uhhh...He mumbled, fumbling with the door...

"Mr. Walthrop!...Stop!..." Cicely cried to him in a startlingly loud voice...

He halted, staring back at her...

"I am talking to you!...Where...Are...You...Going?..."

In five words or less...Sir...she frowned...

Five words, eh...? Walthrop glared back...

"Out...For...A ..." Walthrop began...

"She wants us to let her be during the visions, Will..."Anya was explaining to a nervous

William...And Spike...

Flo thankfully having headed out...

Buffy blinked...God damn...

Spike, you little fraud...

Romance Palace...Part XXVIII...

Part XXVIII...

"You gotta make sure the grease is at just the right temperature..." Buffy eyed William...As she

demonstrated the proper preparation of that vital vegetable, the deep-fried French fry...

She'd recovered a bit from her initial resentment...After all wasn't his fault that idiot Yelvin didn't

trust her to handle the evening shift...

And he'd called her...His fiancee...

Almost as good as...

Dear...

And to other people no less...

He nodded...Patiently attentive...

She eyed him with a grin...

"I thought you wanted me out of here...That this place would...

Do "things" to me..."

I do want you out of here...Will looked at her...

And helping you and...He grinned...Junior...Is the way...

"Will..." she paused...

I'm sorry...About my little freak back at the shop...

I...Know about...

"Customer..." he noted...A couple having entered...

"Duty calls, Slayer..."

She frowned...Well...At least we have until 7 before that guy Leroy gets in...

Pity we couldn't just have the place all to ourselves this evening...

"C'mon...We're ok back here for now, Mr. Assistant Manager..." she smiled at him...

Lets head up front and I'll show you the wonders of the Doublemeat ordering system...

Hmmn...Place all to ourselves...she thought...

And I did want to have it out with Halfreck...Who does grant wishes...

Especially to her client...Namely...Me...

It's simple...Dawn explained to her assistant...A confused but loyal Clem...As they locked up the

house and entered the back yard...

Halfreck will come when I call her...

We just gotta keep her busy here until the guys do...Whatever Willow and Giles have cooked up...

Just keeping her away from Buffy until the others are ready...That's our job...

Self-assigned job...she did not say...

But heck, it was time Cicely/Buffy and William had some help in their romantic fight against the

malicious forces trying to destroy them...Long overdue...

And she was part of Buffy...And therefore Cicely...The part who had first recognized human Will in

Spike...

It's a family thing, she noted to Clem...

Who, as a demon, understood the importance of family...

Giles?...Buffy blinked at the "customer"...

"You had us rather worried, my dear..." he sighed at her...

Hello, Will...he nodded to William...

"Didn't Anya go back and tell you guys?...I'm fine now..." Buffy frowned...

Just a little too much in one day, you know...she smiled over at Will...

"Assistant Manager Walthrop is looking out for me..."

Really?...Giles eyed Will...

"Well...You will go far, Randall...Especially in that hat..." Giles grinned at William...

"Buffy...May I speak to you a moment?..."

She looked at Will...Ummn...

"Will already knows what I have to tell you..." he explained...

Oh?...she blinked...

So now Will gets info from my Watcher before I do?...she thought, grousing to herself a bit...

Unless...Ah...Cicely...Giles wants to tell me about Cicely...Confirm what poor Will's been telling

me...Well, trying to tell me...

Damn it, guys...What I really need is a solid half-hour alone with...she couldn't help beaming

inwardly...

My husband...

Just give the Walthrops a few minutes alone...We'll get this worked out...

Maybe after a little titanic sex...

Hmmn...Well...

Couldn't hurt to hear what Giles has...

"You be ok for a few minutes...? Mr. Assistant Manager...?" she threw a wry grin at Will...

See what I mean? Spike groused within...As Will tried to figure out the Doublemeat symbol

system...Kicking us around like...

Bro...She's trying to deal with Cicely, the baby, us...All of it...

Somehow doing it too...

And she's got a legit gripe...

Besides, we've been "kicked around" by Buffy Summers...Literally...Since the day you brought us

to Sunnydale...

If she just needs to vent a little...I'd say she's entitled...And as long as she's been willing to put up

with my grousing last night about her not recognizing my presence immediately...It's only fair that

I take it...And I will...Any day of the week...

She's certainly tolerated a hell of lot worse from us...

Damn, poof...Show her who's...

Shut up, you little maniac...Or I do have to remind you who got his posturing demonic ass whipped

on a regular basis in this town for the past...

He smiled at the customer who'd just entered...

"One minute...Lets see...Coffee, apple pie..."

Well...he beamed at the middle-aged lady...

"You're actually my first...Thanks very much...And come again..."

I wanted it warmed...The lady frowned at him...

Ah...Just a mo...

That was...Love...Spike noted solemnly...

Please...William choked inwardly...Returning the greasy pie from the microwave to the counter...

"You call this...Warmed?..." the lady groused...

So sorry...One moment...

Throw the doddering ole biddy in the grease vat...It needs more fat anyway...Spike noted...As I was

saying...

Hmmpf...the lady grabbed her microwaved pie with a glare and moved off...

Don't choke on the reconstituted apple pairings, dear...Spike sneered within...

Buffy in forty years bro...Unless we transform her...Soon...Spike noted...

You expect me to believe you let Buffy beat us...All those times...Will chuckled within...

I always held back...Spike insisted...

Uh-huh...And Angelis took it slow because he wanted her to stop him...A year?long cry for help...

Actually...Will had to be fair...Angel probably was trying to do what he could...Wherever he was

while Angelis was out on the town...

What?...Spike snorted...Hell, poof-boy, even you managed to...Ummn...

To...Restrain you...? Why, bro...From you...? High praise indeed...Will teased...

Urggh...

As for dear Angel...

I'm sure he gave it his best...William smiled within...The same valiant effort he made for Buffy and

Dawn this past year...

Thank God for our Angel...he noted...

Amen...Spike echoed...

No...Buffy shook her head at the Watcher...As he sat across from her in the employees' dressing

room...

No...

Buffy...Giles sighed...

"I am sure your reasons for calling on Halfreck were valid...To Cicely at the time..."

And it's clear the Council pressed you to do something about William...

"I did...not..." tears were running down her face... "Want...William...to..."

His death was purely accidental, my dear...All you did was to send him away...

You were merely doing your duty as a Slayer...

"He was my husband, Giles...I...did...not..."

"I wanted to protect him...I'm sure I wanted to protect him..."

You realized...Giles paused...That your duty came first...

And even if William had to be...Sacrificed...

As he may now...

She stared at him...

"The Council will not allow you to take the risk Buffy...They made you give him up before...And

they are prepared to take stronger measures now..."

Only if we send William away...As soon as possible...Can we protect him...

Though...Giles sighed...As long as they fear you will turn to him...And fall prey one day...Either to

Spike and transformation...Or to abandoning your duty as Cicely nearly did...He will be in danger...

"I can protect him..." Buffy desperately argued, wiping tears... "He can protect himself, now..."

You told me Will has a horror of killing...As he told me himself...And the chip will physically

prevent him from fighting humans...

If the Council catches him...As he is now...Giles pointed out...

"Let me arrange a safe haven for him...And send him there..."

Perhaps...he eyed her...One day...

"As long as I live...As long as I'm the Slayer..." Buffy shook her head...

I'm killing him all over again...

"Giles, how can he bear losing me...And the baby...His family...Again...?"

Then perhaps...Giles paused...The best thing...

She stared at him...Giles...? she gasped...

"He's almost human now...You want me to stake him?..."

His soul would be free Buffy...You would be at peace regarding him...And one day...In the

afterlife...

"Get out of here..." she looked up at him...Her eyes smoldering...

And tell the Council...If they try...Anything...

"You can't protect him, Buffy...You knew that Cicely...And that is why you made the only possible

decision in 1880..."

"Get out!..." she was trembling, ready to rise up...But she put her head in her hands...And sobbed...

"You see that it's true, Buffy..."

You have the baby...And Dawn to consider...

Giles paused...

"My dear...I am sorry...But you know I am only trying to warn you...And to help you..."

If you try to protect him...The Council will not hesitate to take action against you as well...Even

considering the baby...

For them, after all...

There is always another Slayer...

He got up and headed out, nodding to William...Now occupied with a small group of Little

Leaguers...

Buffy sat, trembling...Looking at her hands...

"Buffy...?..." William called...

I need you...

Yes...

"I'll be right there, Will..."

Yes...He needs me...My husband needs me...

To send him to his death...Again?...

Oh...God...she sobbed...Burying her face in her hands...

Hmmn...Giles looked at back at the restaurant...I'd say that should just about do it...he thought...

Well done...If I do say so myself...Halfreck smiled at her reflection in the gleaming Doublemeat

window...Resuming her form...

Ummn...she felt a summons...Dawny?...Ah well...

Might as well make it a matched set...she grinned...

And vanished...

Romance Palace...XXIX...

PG-13...

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all

other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly

in the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at .com/buffyrebecca

(the Cicelyverse page or use the quicklist link)

She'll lead you down a path...

There'll be...Tenderness in the air...

Part XXIX...

It's like the prison scene in Richard the Second...William noted to Spike as he turned a burger...

Who was after all a poet at heart...At least in Will Shakespeare's play, William noted...

Right, another poof...Spike sneered within...

He tried to adapt to his confinement by utilizing his poetic talents...And conceive of the prison as a

little world...

Just before he got stabbed to death...Spike sullenly noted...

All I'm saying is...I managed to hang on and endure...You...

Now you...And I...Just have to adapt to...He eyed the grilling burgers...Turning several...

This...

But most important of all...

He looked back at the counter where Buffy was taking orders from the last of the Little

Leagues...Having assigned Assistant Manager Walthrop to grill duty...

We have Buffy-Cicely...Our baby...Our sis, Dawny...Our friends...And who needs anything else to

make this place Heaven?...

You really were locked inside me for 120 years, give or take the chip, weren't you?...Spike

sneered...

Well...If you'd care to leave...And leave Buffy to me...Will grinned within...

Point taken...Spike groused...Say...

Why was she so...When the Ripper left?...Spike pondered within...

She did look a little teary...William agreed...

"Five Doublemeat Specials, Will!..." Buffy called...

Little point in relying on the wondrous Doublemeat ordering system...Take all evening for him to

get it anyway...

Besides even the regular staff only used it at the register and ignored it the rest of the time...

Oh...Will...she sighed...Ok...Focus on the at hand stuff, Buffy...she told herself...

We...Cicely and I...Will find a way...Out of this...We will deal...

Like we did in 1880?...

Did she just wipe some tears?...Spike and Will worriedly called to each other...

What the hell did Giles say to her?...Will wondered...

Throw this crap on a bun and go find out...Spike groused...

Let the little tykes crap their guts out...They'll all die of cholesterol in forty years anyway at this

rate...

Not with Doublemeat imitation beef burgers, Will grinned inwardly...

She won't tell us at the counter anyway...We'll have to catch her when things settle...he noted...

#$%! poof...Why not just go out and let what's left of the sun have you now...Spike groused...

But...Will resumed...Ignoring Spike's mutterings...

No reason we can't manage a quick call to Red...And find out what Giles came by to say...

Hmmn...Red?...

So..?...Spike pondered...You think it was more than... "Buffy my dear, the Council ordered Will's

assassination in 1880 on the recommendation of your own Watcher...And tricked you into using one

of D'Hoffryn's vengeance demons to do it..."...? That alone would've been enough to set Summers

off after all...

She didn't come to us...Giles must have told her more...Things he didn't tell us...She'd have come

over for a hug and an "it's all right, Cicely..." if all he told her was what we already know...Will

pointed out...

And knew...He added...

But...Somehow...All these years...Even with her "beneath me" ringing in my ears...I knew...She

couldn't have done it...

At least not without some reason involving my protection...Her father wasn't too keen on us for

starters, after all...And not the type to waste time in gentle persuasion...A surprisingly ruthless and

brutal fellow under that toff veneer...

And then when I learned she had been the Slayer...In our wanderings...

It had to be...She had to have been trying to protect me...Us...

And then I got control back...And we went to England...And there was no doubt...Anymore...

Thanks to dear ole Henry...

Preety poor "protection"...Spike began...

Backing off as he felt Will's furious glare...Bordering on the unforgivable there, bro...

Well...She did her best I suppose...Spike pulled back...

Damned right...And we'll get her the proof of it...And put it to rest...At last...Somehow...

If you'll keep your end up, demon-boy...

Hey!...Lets remember who found Buffy...er Cicely...Spike growled...

Will took the burgers off and laid them on buns, adding the hideously processed chicken slices...

Urggh...Human flesh would be more appetizing...

Exactly...And I could do with a bit of a sn...Hey!...Will crushed Spike down...

You wanted to help Dru...You weren't seeking Cicely...he noted to Spike...

It wasn't until the chip pushed you down a bit...And I started slipping through...

And...? Spike waited...

And you started listening to me a little...Regarding Buffy...

Has any demon ever been more accommodating to its human counterpart?...I ask you...Spike

groused...

The chip forced you down...You absorbed my feeling for Cicely/Buffy...Just as you took and

adapted my natural feeling for poor trapped human Drusilla...Of course you wanted my help with

her...

He brought over the Doublemeat Specials and the other regular burgers...She smiled and nodded...

"Are you all right, Buffy?..."

Fine, fine...Hormones...she laughed a little...Wiping a tear...

Honey, I'm fine...

My turn...she thought...Smiling within...

What did Giles...? he began...And blinked...

Honey...? he stared at her...Speechless...

Honey?...Ok...Lets go get a bottle...This is her secret sex code...Spike insisted within...

"Customers..." she noted...Eyeing a new group...

Honey...? he thought in joyous wonder...Why...Buffy-Cicely Anne...?

Anne...She always had the same middle name...

And it's a beautiful name...Spike noted...Innocently as possible for him...

You are never meeting demon Anne on this dimension, bro...William replied sharply...I will kill us

both before I let you bring her out...Accept it...

After all, I'd hardly call having Buffy smile on you once in a while, settling for less...

If I had wanted Anne...Spike growled, a bit hurt...Any time in the crypt when she was sleeping this

past year...

Fair enough...Will noted...But I was involved by then...Thanks to the chip...

"We'll talk in a bit...I promise..." she pecked him one on the cheek...Turning to the group clustering

at the counter...

I told you Spike...Will noted within, feeling his cheek gently...She'll talk when she's ready...Red's

the source for us now...

She paused, turned, and whispered in his astonished ear...

"After all...Eternity is ours..."

"My fiancee..." she smiled at the little girl staring with her mom...

So...Dawny...? Halfreck eyed her...And the loyal Clem...Who stood by, crossbow in hand...

As the three stood in the Summers' back yard...

"This is becoming a regular thing with us..." she smiled...

Does your sister know you're calling on me so much...?

"Rupert, dear fellow..." the voice of Quentin Travers, Chairman of the Royal Council of Librarians

and Library Scientists...Issued from the Magic Box speaker phone...

"How is our resurrected Slayer...?"

"Hello, Quentin..." Giles spoke quietly into the phone, Willow and Anya beside him...

Xander watching from across the table...

"We've had some interesting goings-on here regarding the nefarious William the Bloody recently..."

"Really..." Travers paused... "Will up to his old tricks, eh?..."

Are you and Miss Summers in need of assistance...? Traverse asked...A little too pleasantly, Willow

noted...

"Since you and the high Council seemed so concerned about his appearance in Sunnydale a few

years back, I thought you might wish to know what's going on..." Giles continued...

There have been some...Developments...

And I have been doing some research which has opened up several questions I would like answers

to...

Immediately...

"Why is your dog-eared friend holding that crossbow on me, sweetheart?" Halfreck smiled at the

nervous Clem...

You must remember all that sort of thing is useless with me...

Besides...she beamed happily at Dawn...

I'm only here to help you, honey...

"And my sister...?" Dawn eyed her carefully...

Of course...Just as I told you...Right here...The other day...Your sister summoned me as Cicely

Addams...

To deal with rather a big one...she nodded pleasantly...

"I was only too happy to help...After all it's my job, my duty...And a source of great personal

satisfaction..."

You murdered my...Dawn gulped...Well, now's as good a time...

Brother-in-law...

You're trying to murder him again...

"Dawny...I told you...All I did was fulfill Cicely's request and drive him away..."

The rest was...Well...Fate...she waved her hands...

"Now...that's all in the past...But what can I do for you now?..."

"Haven't you ever been in a boat, Mr. Walthrop?..." Cicely asked...Smiling at the little man...As he

struggled with the oars...

A day out in the Lake District, courtesy dear Henry and his generous offer of his little cottage and

boat...

Ummn...Walthrop shrugged...Trying to seem casual about it...Casual as one could with one oar

floating off into the center of the lake while the other seemed likely to pull him in...

Why the hell she'd asked him to come out here...He'd never know...She must enjoy the spectacle of

him constantly being humiliated, trying to cope with a world he'd never experienced outside of his

beloved books...

Well, there goes the other oar...

And he'd given up critical exams time for this...Not to mention precious dabs of his funds in

traveling here...Money much better spent on his books or better still sent to his sister and brother,

Amelia and Philip...

Still, she'd promised to "fire his poetical imagination" with new sights...Actually she'd teased that

she would do what she could to fire anything that might possibly be there...

Dim coals, judging by what she'd read of his work...

Well, to be fair, a remark she instantly withdrawn and profusely apologized for after seeing his

crestfallen face...

Rather remarkable, her consideration for his feelings just then...Considering her usual haughty prig

manner...

She'd almost seemed...To care...

But then, she simply wanted to please ole Henry...And demonstrate her capacity for compassion to

the lower orders...

Who knew, maybe she was in love with ole cousin Henry...? Unable to act on it, perhaps, but

desperate to please him...

The boat was drifting out into the center of the lake...At least in pursuit of one oar, he noted, if rather

slowly...

Oddly enough she didn't seem much distressed by the situation...Lost out on the lake with her

cousin's ragamuffin charity case "friend"... The "dangerous radical" William Soames Walthrop...A

joking sobriquet she'd placed on him at dinner the other night...Which her father had taken quite

serious umbrage at...Glaring at the "radical" Henry had smuggled into his home all the rest of the

evening...

Well, he supposed if she was so determined to take it calmly, the least he could do was demonstrate

similar fortitude...

In the end, after all, he could always try...Drowning...er swimming...back to the shore, dragging the

boat behind...

"Don't be distressed..." she told him...Kindly, he noted with surprise...

William...she paused...

He stared at her ...

"We can just drift a bit...We'll catch up to one of the oars soon enough..."

Tell me about your family...William...she eyed him...

"Henry says...He told me...Your mother died last year..."

Tuberculosis...he nodded...

And years of slaving like a dog...With beatings from the masters to boot...

"Amazing what "gentlemen" can get away with when the woman beaten almost to death by her

employer is a poor servant..." he noted...

God save the Queen, our just legal system, and our noble Parliament...

"Henry is hoping to better things like that..." she noted...

When he gets to Parliament...

I wish there were more like him...William noted simply...

"I've always said it...He is a good man...And my friend..."

Who owes you a great deal, William...she looked at him...

"He needed a bit of help...I was glad to oblige..."

"He would have failed and been sent down...If you hadn't taken him in hand..."

"I rather enjoyed helping a toff..." William said curtly...

Nice to have one indebted to one...Can come in handy...

"Are you always so ready to snap at anyone who shows you a little kindness...?" she glared...

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean that..."

As I didn't mean to hurt you the other day...she noted...

I thought you could take criticism...You certainly claim to be able to...

"I never claimed to be a great poet, Miss Addams...I just...Try to write..."

You need more...Experience...William...

"I've had years of it, Miss Addams...Assisting my mother and her fellows in service, working in

factories, working anywhere I could make a few shillings...Trying to keep a roof over my brother

and sister's heads...Bury my mother in some dignity..."

He eyed her...

You can't know the "experience" I've had...And frankly, I'm glad for you, you haven't...

It was clouding up and getting gusty...

"I may have had more "experience" than you can imagine, William..."

He stared at her...

"My name, by the way, is Cicely...Please use it...I don't like calling you by your first if you refuse to

use mine..." she smiled wanly at him...

She looks tired...He noted...As if she's been working at the books or something...All night...

"Perhaps we'd best try heading in..." he looked at her...

Wouldn't want to compromise your reputation any further...

"I can bear a little "compromising"..." she smiled...Stared at him...

Was she...Nervous?...

And looked away...

"Henry thinks you have a great future..." she began...

Henry...Is a very kind friend...

"But when you get your degree..."

I will be a poor man with a degree from Cambridge, two others to feed...And...

A very bad poet...

"Your story the other night was very good..." she paused... "You have promise..."

A tale to friends about my working days...A hair better than my poems...

As your friend Henderson pointed out...When he gave me my new nickname...

"Bloody Aw..."

"Henderson is an ass!..." she eyed him fiercely...

You wrong me to call him my friend...

He stared at her...So angry...So suddenly...

Like a summer storm...

For...Him?...

"Are you going to let a fool like him tell you to stop...?" she went on...

Is that what your mother killed herself for...So you could give up at the first hint of criticism?...

"I have to think practically...Mouths to feed, remember?..."

"Don't belittle my opinions, Will...iam...Just because I don't know hunger and cold right now

doesn't mean I don't understand..."practicalities"..." she told him crossly... "I'm not a little fool, you

know..."

Just because you must think of the practical doesn't mean...The romantic in you has to die...she

muttered...Looking out toward shore...

Odd...? He could almost...Think she was talking about...herself...

The romantic mustn't die, Will...she looked back at him...Life's not worth living without it...

Wind was really picking up now...Boat rocking...

"Are you all right?..." she looked at him...

Just...he paused...

A trifle...Giddy...

A swell caught them neatly, lifting the boat, turning it over...

"William!..." she cried, grabbing for him...With simply amazing speed...

But a hair too slow...They went in separately...

He bobbed up...Much to his own surprise...

She wasn't there...He looked round in terror...

"Cicely!..." he screamed...

"Cicely!"

He pushed himself back down...And found her just under the upturned boat, stunned by striking the

side...

Grabbing her, he desperately dived back under, while trying to cover her mouth and nose from the

water...And popped up with her on the other side...She coughing and choking as he propped her up

against the upturned boat...

"Miss...?" the tall man called, tapping her on the shoulder...

"You ok...? I'd like to get my ketchup sometime today, please..."

Buffy blinked at the customer...Oh...Yeah...

Sorry...

"Alls right, pet?" Will came out from the grill area, having seen the tail end of her blank-out...

Ummn...she stared at him...

Yeah...Fine...I'm fine, Will...

He headed back, looking for another chance to try a cell phone call to Willow...

He saved me that day, Buffy thought, staring out the window...And I thought...He's tougher than he

looks...This sweet little William...

And he is a beautiful soul...A true romantic under that front...Who needs someone...Like me...

He can see it, I can tell...He sees there's more in me than some vain little fool...He can see the

Slayer...

And even more...The fellow romantic...

He'll do for me...I want him...

God bless you, dear Henry...For bringing him to me...

If we have the courage...I can escape my fate...With him... And help him escape too...I know he has

the courage...I feel it...

If he wants me...If he can love me...

Best to get that straight, Miss Addams...And I will...

But I think...He could...He does...

If I can make him believe my story and we fight together...And we have the courage...

Do I?...

Buffy paused...

Did I?...

Do I?...

If we fight together...?

Last time, I gave him no chance to fight with me...I believed he had to be protected and never gave

him a crack at the truth...I didn't believe in him and I failed him...

I won't fail him again...

If I can't save him this time...

I'll go with him...Wherever that is...

Romance Palace Part XXX...

She'll let you come just far enough...

So you'll...Know she's really there...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly

in the saddle and romance on the menu...

Archived at .com/buffyrebecca

(the Cicelyverse page or use the quicklist link)

Part XXX...

"The records on Cicely Addams...Walthrop...Were deliberately expunged, Quentin..." Giles told

Travers coldly...

Except for a few sealed accounts, including Farris' private journal...

"But you...Chairman of the Council...Had access...And knew the truth...All this time..."

Travers' sigh was audible over the speaker phone...

"Let me ask you, Rupert...What possible good would it have done for Miss Summers to know...As you choose to call it... "The Truth"?..."

That her husband died and was transformed as a result of her own...

"What do you take me for, Quentin?..." Giles cut him off, in fury...

Farris and the others lied to her, deliberately deceived her...

"William Walthrop was not a hapless victim of a psychotic vampiress or of well?meaning protectors of Humanity...He was singled out for termination...By a group of ruthless men and women who realized they were about to lose their access to power..."

And you and the current Council, the inner High Circle, at least...Have continued the deception...To keep Buffy under your thumb...Knowing that like Cicely Addams...She would be the greatest of the Slayers...

"Miss Summers has hardly shown a tendency to remain "under our thumb", Rupert..." Travers

replied coolly... "What great benefit do we derive from keeping this secret, apart from her peace of mind?...Useful to us, I grant you..."

"We wanted to protect her from the past, that is true...And from what would have been her natural inclination to help William, at any risk to herself..." he went on...

"Would you have preferred we encouraged her to put her life at risk, trying to help a William the

Bloody who would have immediately transformed her?..."

"If I had been told...If Buffy had had a chance to learn her past in stages...We might have sought

help for poor Will, reached his trapped soul..."

It was only thanks to Cicely's buried feeling for him...And his Drusilla-given prowess...That he

survived to receive the Initiative's "help"...And lived to free his soul again...

"Then...Alls well that ends well, eh my friend..." Travers answered pleasantly...

Wish I had my magics back for thirty seconds...Willow thought...Xander eyeing her...With the same

thought, she realized...

"The same demon sent to her in 1880 is back...With a similar agenda, no doubt..." Giles told him...

"And you and the high Council...Have offered D'Hoffryn a free hand in the matter...So long as

Buffy either returns to your authority...Or is removed to make way for the next Slayer..."

If Miss Summers' subconscious fears about Spike have brought her vengeance demon

back...Quentin paused...That is hardly our doing...

"As for negotiations...In secret as you imply...With the demon lord you mention..." A velvet tone of

sarcasm in Travers' voice... "I believe I...And the full Council...Would have to see some proof..."

"Leave them alone?..." Haly smiled at Dawn and Clem... "That's your wish?..."

That's it...Dawn noted grimly...Leave Buffy...And Cicely...And William...Alone...

Hmmn...Well...Difficult one, Dawny...she grinned...

"Buffy is Cicely...And Cicely is my client...I have a duty to her that supersedes a wish like

that...Even by a part of her...Like you..."

She wants you gone...Dawn replied...

Ah...Haven't heard her say that...

"You just did...I'm "part" of her...You said so yourself..."

Even if I accepted your right to the final word here...Which I do not, sweetie, sorry...Sending me

away is one wish I can't grant...Not allowed to me...

"All right, then..." Dawn frowned...

Then tell her what happened that night...The whole story, no lies, no leaving out parts...Now...

That's my wish...she glared...

Haly grinned...Why, thank you...Sweetie...

"Wish...Granted..." she vanished...

Clem eyed Dawn...

"It's the right thing to do, Clem...We couldn't have held her much longer..." Dawn stared back...

It's best we have her where one of us...One part of Buffy/Cicely...Can watch her until Giles and

Willow deal...

"Buffy is strong and she loves Will...Halfreck won't fool her again..."

Whatever really happened...She didn't want him hurt that night...She was trying to protect him...I

know it...

She looked down...I know it...

Clem nodded...But...

"She'll be all right..." Dawn repeated...

I hope...

And now...I've used Halfreck too...Trying to make things better...she thought...Like Cicely did...

But Buffy knows more than she did in 1880...And Will is there to help her this time...

She'll deal...

She has to...

Twisting her hands...She looked up at her friend...

"We better call the Box...And the Palace..."

"I am not going to play these little games, Quentin..." Giles paused... "Nor will I expose the people

who gave me the information on the Council's past...and your current ...negotiations with

D'Hoffryn..."

There's two people here I'd like to introduce...

"Willow..." he smiled at her...

"This is Ms. Rosenberg, the Wiccan I've mentioned at the Council...The one so powerful in her last

rage that I had to teleport back here with all the power I could gather..."

She's quite stable and magics?blocked now...Despite brushing my gathered power aside like thin

fog...

However...If I remove the block on her access to power...

"Hi there, Mr. Travers..." Willow grinned into the phone...

Understand you've been messing up my best friend's love life...For your own profit...

Would you care to hear how I killed the last Big Baddy fellow who gave us cause for grief?...

Xander eyed her...Glancing at Anya...

It's ok Xander...Willow smiled at him, nodding reassuringly...

"You think we of the Council have no protection against minor magics practitioners, Rupert?"

Quentin sneered...

You underestimate us...You and your Slayer always did...

As she did as Ms. Addams...

Willow eyed Giles, questioning, nervous...They probably do got preety good shielding...And I really

don't want to try powering up again to what I'd need...Ever...she thought...

Even for my Buffy...

It will be alright...his kind look said...Don't fear...

"Well then..." Giles paused... "Lets move on to a whole new level...Let me introduce our own

vengeance demon...Anyanka..."

Hello,. Mr. Travers...Anya smiled...

Appearing in front of him as he sat in his favorite armchair...In his London apartment...

"I can't interfere with Haly's case...But..." she took on Anyanka's form...

"If my friends would care to make a wish regarding you...I'd really like to carry it out..."

Anya...If you would be so kind as to briefly give Mr. Travers a taste of what a massive stroke feels

like...Giles smoothly requested...

She eyed Travers...Who backed against his chair...

"Rupert...?" he tried unsuccessfully to cover the fear in his voice...

He hadn't quite counted on this...And her power worked on a different level from the "minor

magics" of the ordinary (non-super charged Willowian) practitioner...

When did you people acquire a vengeance demon?...Travers squirmed...

"You really should have read my reports on Sunnydale more carefully, sir..." Giles smiled at the

phone...

I mentioned our dear Anya several times...

"This is hardly ethical behavior, Rupert..." Travers insisted...

A violation of Council dictates...For personal reasons...

Using a vengeance demon...

"To murder a Slayer's husband...?" Giles asked quietly...

Anya stared at Travers...

"I don't think...I can do this, Giles..." Anya paused, calling into Travers' phone

Travers smiled and relaxed a hair, eyes gleaming at Anya...

"You see, Rupert...You and your quaint band of well-meaning do-gooders are helpless outside of

your little heroics against the underworld...This is why in the gray spaces of the real world our

Slayer needs the protection and guidance of the Council..."

Even when we must act with what may seem...Ruthlessness...he continued, smugly...

The gang, listening, heard a sudden gasp...

Travers clutched his chest, one arm rigidly paralyzed, the leg on the same side giving way...

"I said..." Anya paused, staring at Travers whimpering on the floor...

"I don't...think...I can..."

Anya reappeared in the shop, trembling...

"He...Should be ok...In a moment..."

She looked at them...As Anyanka...

"So..." she eyed Xander...

Now you finally see what I really am...

Willow eyed her...And stared at him...

"A beautiful, beautiful soul..." he replied...Gently taking Anya's hand...

"The love of my life..."

She buried herself in Xander's arms...

I'm sorry...she sobbed...I...

"No, honey...No...It's all right..." he rocked her...

"Giles..." Xander looked at the Watcher...

Never again...

Not even for Buffy...he said firmly...Hugging her tightly...

"Welcome home...Cicely..." Halfreck grinned at Buffy...

They stood in the London townhouse of the Addams family...

Gaslights, elegant women in long dress...Men in formal attire, deposited top hats and coats with the

maids and footmen near the door...

A party, Buffy realized...Turning around in astonishment...

Not any party...The party, she realized...

"What...? she looked down and saw she was in long dress herself...As was Halfreck...

The identical dress actually...From what she could see of hers...

"Dear Dawny made a wish...that you remember...Exactly...What happened..." Haly smiled...

"Tonight..."

Romance Palace...Part XXXI...

Part XXXI...

"So..." Giles summed up Travers frantic answers to his questions...Now given a bit more easily with

the effects of Anya's demo fading...

"You and the high Council alerted D'Hoffryn to Cicely's reincarnation after your psychics sensed

her soul in Buffy..."

But he didn't act until Buffy...Cicely's fears about William started unconsciously crying out, Anya

noted to Xander...As they listened with Willow...

Anya...Xander put his hand to his head...I know you like your old boss and that's great...But he is

trying to release Buffy's demon and make her some kind of "super" vengeance demon...

"He plays by rules, Xander..." she eyed him...And he has a different pov...

To him, he's offering Buffy...Immortality and incredible power...

"But I'm not speaking up for him..." she eyed Willow as well...

He's constrained by the rules...He won't act outside them...

"And we can use that..." Willow nodded...

Her cell phone buzzed...

"Buffy...?" Will called to her...

"Cicely...?" he tried again...She stood in a daze by the counter, staring out the window...No one

waiting thank goodness...

She's off again...Spike noted...

Was that fool of a doc competent?...Or just some cheap quack...?

"Where is he?...Where's William?..." Buffy glared at Halfreck as they stood in the center of the

Addams parlor...

"Oh...Writing some epic to us...Somewhere...Back there, I think..." Halfreck grinned, pointing...

She's younger...About my age now...Dark-haired...So...Buffy thought...

That's me...In 1880...

Not bad...Maybe somewhat heftier...

But not bad...And guys didn't mind a few pounds on their ladies then...

Er...Now...

But where is he?...If I can get to him before she does...

"You can't speak to him, Cicely..." Halfreck smiled...

This isn't time travel...Just a replay of what happened...Think of it as say...A summer rerun...

All you can do is re-experience what happened...

And first...We need to go upstairs...To your room...

She looked around the well-furnished bed and sitting room...

"I remember...This..." she smiled...Looking at the bed...

Oh...She grinned...Shaking her head in wonder...

Even back then...er...now...

"Mr. Gordo..." she smiled at the little stuffed pig...On her pillow...

Named after our dashing general, Charles "Chinese" Gordon...A brave soldier and a good

man...Who tried to defend the interests of those poor Chinese against even our own before they

transferred him...

One of my heroes...As a girl...

I...She paused...Seeing Halfreck watching her...

You came to me here...Buffy stared at her...

"After..." she thought a minute...

"After I followed Mr. Farris' instructions...And called on you..."

To make my life less...

Complicated...

"And you must admit...Dear..." Haly grinned...A mirror reflection of Cicely...

"I certainly did that in grand style..."

"Dawn...?" Willow gasped, listening...Diverting Xander and Anya's attention from Giles' ongoing

conversation with Travers...

Sweetie, what have you done?...You sent Halfreck to Buffy?...she spoke hastily into the phone...

Anya eyed Xander...

"I'm on it..." she kissed him...And vanished...

Giles, hearing part, looked at them...

"An's gone to the Palace...To see what she can do..." Xander replied...

"Quentin..." Giles turned back to the phone...

"How were D'Hoffryn and his demon originally summoned by Farris?...I want the ceremony...And

I want it now..."

Willow...A voice called her...As she listened to Dawn's pleading, desperate explanation...

Oh, honey...I know you meant well...Willow began...

"What is it Anya?..." she turned and looked to see just Xander and Giles, Giles listening intently to

Travers...

"An's gone to Doublemeat..." Xander explained...

Willow?...Listen to me...the voice whispered...

"Is Dawny ok?...Did Halfreck hurt her?" Xander went on...

Hey, damn you...A familiar, male voice cut in on the first...

We're talking to you...And...For Christ's sake you better listen, girly...

"Warren...Mears?" Willow whispered...

Warren?...Xander stared at her...

Wil?...What about...gulp...Warren?...

"He's...Here..." Willow stared at Xander...

In the defleshed disembodied spirit...Warren sneered...

Enough, Mears...the other called...Brushing him aside...

"Tara?..." Willow gasped...

But somehow...Not quite...Tara...Ummn...

Different..Even accounting for the disembodied spirit thing...

Willow...Sweetie...I'm so sorry I had to use...Creepo here...To reach you...But...

Hey!...Warren muttered...I'm helping here...

For your own sake...Not quite Tara replied...

"Tara?..." Xander looked around the room...

Wil?...Tara's here?...he eyed her...

And...Warren?...

I'm not a free soul anymore...So I had to have help to reach you...Not quite Tara explained...

"Giles?...Gil...es..." Xander called...

"I'm not flipping out, Xander..." Willow hissed to him...

She's ok Xander...the voice now reached him as well...

Hey...I only volunteered one contact...Warren sniffed...

This is cutting into my assigned contacts big time...I deserve extra points for this...

Like anyone but your mom would want to talk to you in seance, Mears...Not quite Tara

replied...Brushing him back...

"So..." Willow eyed Xander...

It was Mearsy...He's the one...I...

Yeah, you bitch...Warren replied huffily...And if I ever...

"Tara...Why are you calling to us?..." Xander called...

Giles now staring at them...As he copied down notes from Travers...

"And why are you working with...That thing..."

Hey...Xander...Not quite Tara called softly...Kindly...

Buffy and Will are in terrible danger...And I'm...In a big part...Responsible...

Had to offer Mearsy a chance to win some points towards a parole to Purgatory to reach you guys...

See...Not quite Tara explained...I'm trapped...As I was when I first met poor Will...and...

"Trapped...? Baby...?" Willow eyed Xander...

Do something...her look said...

What?...his look said back...

Sorry...

She tried a glance at Giles...

Who motioned for her to go on talking to whoever, eyeing Xander carefully...

"There is somebody out there, Giles..." Xander noted...

He nodded but had to return to Travers...Now impatient to give the requested info...Collect

transoceanic call after all...

"Baby...What do you mean...Trapped?...I..." Willow paused...

Oh my God...Xander stared...

Willow stared...

"Oh Willow..." the vision before them moaned... "I never wanted you to see me...Like this..."

I swear...I didn't know myself when I was with you...You have to believe me...I had no memory of

this life...Or that horror...

But I had to do something...To keep it from happening again...To help them...

William...Mr. Walthrop...saved me...My soul...Helped me escape limbo and...Her...It...Freed me to

be reborn...Even after It...My dark half...Killed him...

They stared at...A sad-faced ghostly Drusilla...

I haven't got much time...It...Will come for me, drag me back...she pleaded...

You're damned right you haven't got much time...the disembodied voice of Warren groused...And

since it's coming out of my hide...

You better get your business settled...Fast...

Or I pull the plug at my end...

"You waited here..." Halfreck indicated a well-concealed seat on the balcony overlooking the main

hall and parlor below...

And I..."Handled" your little problem for you...

"You can stand if you wish, Cicely..." Halfreck eyed Buffy "Jump, shout if you wish...But it will

make no difference..."

These things have already happened...And this is just a re-creation...

Courtesy our lil' Dawny...

"Nothing that happened tonight, that night in 1880...Can ever be changed..."

A cluster of London's elegant stood in the Addams parlor...More standing in groups out to the hall...

Mostly the aristocratic elite of the city, but...Scattered about...A few of Henry and Cicely's

Bohemian friends, students, artists, thinkers...

Henry and Cicely's oddities, a few of the gentlemen chuckle to each other and their ladies...

Though they carefully avoid tweaking the tails of the better known and experienced ones...Well able

to turn the tables on them...There are a few insecure, shy types wandering about...And dear ole

Henry is not at hand to look out for them...

Several groups discuss the strange stories of bizarre attacks circulating around the city...

"The Angelis pride..." Buffy looked at Halfreck, standing beside her as they listened from above...

"The menace you failed to deal with...Cicely..." Halfreck smiled at her...

Until you found you couldn't run from what you were...What you are...

Your duty...

Leaving Buffy-Cicely at her seat, Halfreck-Cicely begins her entrance down the master staircase...

Several gentlemen cluster in the main hall, awaiting the entrance of the lady of their desire...The

divine Miss Addams...Led by Henderson, the man who had provided William with his new title the

other night...Annoyed by Cicely's attentions at dinner that evening to Henry's little mongrel...

William pauses before a couple to explain his lack of interest in the recent attacks...A sheaf of pages

in hand...

He has other concerns, he thinks...Smiling at Cicely...Halfreck-Cicely...Who turns away from him as

she steps into the hall...

"Ah"...Henderson smiles as he overhears William...And here is the little fellow again...

I see dear Cicely has exhausted her interest in him...

Needs to learn his place, this ridiculous little "poet"...

"I see. Well, don't withhold, William..."

"Rescue us from a dreary topic..".

He snatches the pages from William's hands.

William pleads to Henderson...

"Careful. The inks are still wet. Please, it's not finished..."

"Don't be shy. (reads) "My heart expands/'tis grown a bulge in it/inspired by your beauty, effulgent."

(laughs) Effulgent?..."

Everyone in earshot laughs... With an uncomfortable air, Halfreck-Cicely glances at William and

walks off. William shoots them a sour look, snatches back his poem, and follows her...

Dolts...But not tonight...

Tomorrow...Fools...You'll all sing a different tune...he thinks...

When we leave...Together...And you...All of you...Learn what's happened...

Henderson laughs after him...

"And that's actually one of his better compositions..."

He chuckles to his companions...

"Have you heard? They call him William the Bloody because of his bloody awful poetry!..."

The other gentleman sneers...

"It suits him. I'd rather have a railroad spike through my head than listen to that awful stuff!"

William approaches Halfreck-Cicely now sitting on a sofa, away from the main party, and looking

out the window.

"Cicely?"

She turns and sighs when she sees him.

"Oh. Leave me alone..."

(Buffy-Cicely moving to the stairs, rushing down...Stop!...No one seeing her...)

I've embarrassed her, he thinks...Nothing's to be said until she's ready...Spoken to Henry at least...

"Oh, they're vulgarians..." he smiles at her..."They're not like you and I."

"You and I? I'm going to ask you a very personal question and I demand an honest answer. Do you

understand?"

He nods...But...Why should she need to...? For these...Fools?...

Well...I've given my word to say nothing...

"Your poetry, it's... they're... not written about me, are they?"

They're about how I feel...he replies, staring at her...Blinking...

"Yes, but are they about me?"

(Buffy-Cicely stands before them, unseen by all but Halfreck...

Stop it, Halfreck!...Stop it!... Oh, please...)

Every syllable...he nods...

Cicely...You know...he thinks...

"Cicely..." he reached for her hand...

"Oh, God!"...she stares at the others, now clustering a bit...

What have I done...he thinks...Why is she so?...

Unless...She's had second thoughts...

Spoken with Papa?..Perhaps even ole Henry?..

But he can't help blundering on...Unable to believe she could be so...Cold...

To him...

The fear gripping him...

She's thought it over...They've persuaded her...

He stumbles on...

"Oh, I know... it's sudden and... please, if they're no good, they're only words but... the feeling behind

them... I love you, Cicely..."

Cicely?...What's happened?...he thinks...Ready to blurt it all out to the crowd...

"Please stop!" Halfreck-Cicely eyes him...

(Stop!...Stop it, Halfreck!...Oh God!...Buffy-Cicely screams at them...

Will!...Listen to me!...

No one hearing...)

"I know I'm a bad poet but I'm a good man and all I ask is that... that you try to see me..."

"I do see you. That's the problem." Halfreck-Cicely pauses...

"You're nothing to me, William. You're beneath me..."

She stands and walks off...(Looking coolly up at Buffy-Cicely standing in horror)...William looks

after her...Speechless...

"Cicely..." He stands...Staring...And grabbing his sheets, dashes out of the room...And stops just

outside the house...(Buffy-Cicely racing after him...)

He puts his hand in his pocket...And slowly pulls out the ring she had given him two days ago...

(William!...William!...Buffy-Cicely cries out, sobbing, trying to grab at him...

I love you, Will...William! No!...Stop him, Halfreck!...Stop him!...

Stop him, God...Have pity on me...Oh, Will!...

William!...)

"Eternity is ours...Cicely..." the inscription...

He puts it slowly back in the pocket, and stumbles off down the street

(Fallen to her knees where he had stopped in the street, Buffy-Cicely watches...In horror, shame, and

sorrow...

William...she murmurs...William...Rubbing her temples...

My Darling...My Fool for Love...

"You're beneath me"...And I remembered the words...Even a century later... They were what I knew

would drive him away...Halfreck didn't dream them up...She got them from me...And finally...I used

them myself...

"Your simpler life...Back..." A voice hit her...

"Wish...Granted..." Halfreck-Cicely now stands beside her...)

Romance Palace...Part XXXII...

Part XXXII...

"Danger, Will!..." Anya cried, appearing before him in front of the grill at Doublemeat from which

he was eyeing his dazed Buffy at her counter...

Hmmn...Xander would get a kick out of that image...Her doing the Robot from "Lost in Space" she

thought...One of his favorites...

"Haly's..." she looked at the immobile Buffy...

Here...she gasped, sensing the demon's spell field around her friend...

What?...Will and Spike chorused...

"I feel a spell field...She must have Buffy in some kind of hallucinatory spell, probably a memory

spell..."

Dawn called and told Willow...Anya paused...

She summoned Halfreck again...I'd bet she's showing Buffy something from the past...Anya looked

at Will...

Who rushed over to Buffy...

"Break it, Anya!..." he cried...

I can't...she called to him...

"Buffy...Buffy!..." he shook her...She staring blankly...

"Cicely...Listen to me!..."

Spike echoing the words within...

"You see now..." Halfreck-Cicely paused...Now standing before Buffy-Cicely in the 1880 London

street outside the Addams home...

It was your choice...

Your decision...

Buffy stared at her...

"I spoke the words you couldn't..." Haly continued...

But they were the words you wanted to say...

"I wanted to save him...I had to stay...After Henry was attacked by Darla and almost killed...The

night before...I knew I couldn't just leave..."

And the Council wouldn't have let me...

Didn't let me...she stared thoughtfully at "her" vengeance demon...

And sent me a demon godmother to help me see the way out...she thought...

Their way out...she thought darkly...

"It was selfish of me to take him...To try to escape with him...Knowing the danger I was putting him

in..." Buffy-Cicely eyed her mirror image...

Yes...Haly noted coldly...And your Watcher warned you...Had tried to make you see that it was time

for you to break all ties...Leave your family...Not form disastrous new ones...

"Poor boy might have lived to become...God knows..." Halfreck shrugged... "Maybe

nothing...Maybe another Joyce or Keats..."

But he would have had a chance...Until you took it from him...she looked at Buffy...

"Where did he go from here?..." Buffy-Cicely stared at her twin...

What?...Halfreck looked back at her...

She wants to see more?...Not quite what I expected...Haly thought...

Still...Maybe seeing Dru in action will provide that once and for all final blow...

"Well, if you must see more...I suppose I can accommodate it within Dawny's wish...But it will be

hard, I warn you, Buffy..."

I want to see everything...Buffy-Cicely eyed her coolly...

"Can't you get me to her?...Anya?..." Will pleaded, as he tried to revive the blank-eyed Buffy...

Or at least Spike...

Anya...Please...Spike pleaded...

"Will...Spike...Oh, I'm sorry...I can't break into Haly's spell... " Anya mournfully eyed them...

My God...They really are the same person...she thought...Fundamentally...

And I was...Am...Anyanka...As well as Anya...

But just as Will could pull free of his id...I don't have to fall back into her...

Id...?...

Wait...There is someone who can help...Who was a part of this...

"Keep trying...Fellas..." Anya told him...

And vanished...

"Forgive me!...Willow..." Tara-Dru cried out to her...

Not a thing to forgive, baby...Not a thing...Willow called back...

"All this suffering...My fault...I wasn't strong enough...Not strong enough in my faith..."

I failed God...And all of you...Tara-Dru mournfully shook her head...

Hey!...spirit Warren groused...Time's awasting...If you two ladies want to sob your eyes out, it's

fine with me but I ain't giving more of my seance minutes when you hafta go back and try to settle

this again...

Shut up, Mears!...Xander growled...Or I will have Giles make you relive that defleshing...Over and

over again...Like your little loop experiment?...Remember?...

Yeah...Mears giggled sneeringly...God that was a great day...Buffy was at her wits' end that time...

"Sorry guys..." Xander sighed, shaking his head... "Shouldn't've reminded him..."

Well...Willow hated to admit but Mears was right...Time was awasting...If Anya's rush to

Doublemeat hadn't caught Halfreck in time...

"Tara?..." Willow turned to the vision...

Where are Buffy and Will now?...At Doublemeat?...Can you see them?...

What do you want us to do?...

"Willow!..." poor Dawn's voice cried from her neglected cell phone...

Xander, talk to Dawny...Willow handed him the phone...

"Tara?...Is she still here?..." Anya appeared...

There...Xander pointed...

"How'd you know she...?" he stared at her...

Crossed her path as I teleported...Anya replied...

Willow...the vision called to her...Buffy is reliving that night...With Halfreck...

But...Halfreck is not telling her everything...There was more than Fate involved in Will meeting up

with...

Me...

You have to find a way to reach her...And...Tell her...

She's been...Is being...Tricked...

"Tara...It's Anya..." Anya called to her...

Hey, An...

Hmmn...Tara is Dru...Makes sense somehow...Anya thought...

"Can you get to Buffy in her vision?...Through your counterpart...If I can give you a little more

power?..."

I can't enter the vision myself...Anya explained...Or send Will...He's physical...Rooted in this

world...

But I can give you more power...And you were there...With the other...

"Hey...Dawny!..." Xander took the phone...

"Alls well so far..." he told her...

Jesus...Dawn rolled her eyes...Glaring at the cell phone in her hand...

Clem...she turned to her assistant...

Do I look five years old?...

Well...Clem pondered...

If you were a Comez demon...

"Come on..." she hissed to him...Holding the phone away...

Hmmn?...Clem eyed her...

Doublemeat...she hissed...Lets go...

"Ok, Xander...Call me when you have something..." she called into the phone...And hung up...

Dawn?...Xander stared at the phone...

"Willow!..." Giles called...

I have the ceremony...Come here...

She hurried over, but with one eye on Tara-Dru and Anya...

"Can we pull Halfreck here?..." she asked Giles...

Yes...he paused...But it will take the best part of an hour...If we hurry...

We're not a natural client...Nor was the Council in 1880...

Lets get to it...Willow replied...

"Anya and...Tara...Will do what they can..."

"Stand back, honey..." Anya commanded...

Everyone...Cover your eyes...she stroked her pendant...

A bright pulse of light filled the room...

A howl from the disembodied Warren...Arrgh!...

"I meant you too...In the spectral vision sense, Warren..." Anya told him...

All right Tara?...she called...

"I'm heading back to Doublemeat...Help Will at that end..."

Tara-Dru hesitated...I'll try...I don't know if I can...Deal with...It...Even in a vision re-creation...

"Baby..." Willow called...

You are stronger than that crazy maniac...You always were the stronger, you just didn't believe

it...You can do this...I love you, Baby...

Always...

"I'll try..." Tara-Dru nodded...Starting to fade...

Hey!...Warren cried...I never said I'll be a part of this...That crazy psycho'll be after me here in

Hell...Hey!..he faded out...

Looks like I'll have company...Tara-Dru smiled gently to Xander...Who grinned back...

Yuck...she grinned...

I love you, sweetie...she called to Willow...

"Thank you...Tara..." Giles called over to her...The vision nodding...Hey, Giles...

Giving a last long glance to the fading Tara-Dru...Willow turned back to Giles and set to work...

Romance Palace...Part XXXIII...

Part XXXIII...

Anya reappeared in the front area of the Palace to find a desperate Will with Buffy...

To lose her...Now...she heard faintly...

She blinked...As Spike of all people moaned in sorrow...

No...Will replied to him...Cicely is a century stronger...We know she loves us...

We won't lose her...

"We won't..." he eyed Anya...If I have to wait another century...A thousand centuries...

"Because...We never really did..."

She nodded...

Ummn...Might be best to see if we could get her to the back room?...she noted...

My God...Dr. McCoy in "Star Trek" was right...she thought in wonder...As they gently pulled the

blank-eyed Buffy back...

That is where the real courage comes from...

"Tara's...Trying to help..." she told him...

She'll reach her...

Tara?...the brothers chorused...

God damnit!...A disembodied Warren hollered at Tara-Dru...As she staggered in the 1880 London

street of Halfreck's replay...

This is what I get for trying to help here!...he groused...

When that maniac of yours catches up with us...

"What you get...Murderer...Is my two cents' worth towards your getting a punishment with a time

limit rather than spending Eternity in my demon's home backyard...If you cooperate..."

Say...You're speaking with an English accent now...Warren noted...Rather...Interested...

You know...Tara...Your ole English bod wasn't too...

"Can it, Mr. Mears..." In an oddly Drusilla-like voice...

Great...Now the Hell-imprisoned spirit of the worthless turd of a guy who blew my heart open is

getting interested in my old self...Tara-Dru thought, sighing...

A very Dru-like sigh...

Well...Should I be surprised?...she thought...

She stared around the street...Vaguely familiar...

Where did...she gulped...I...and It...Go...That night...? We were with Angelis and Darla...Until...

I didn't volunteer for this you know...Mears grumbled...

"Shut up...Please, sir..." Even more Dru-like...

God, does my involuntary English politeness bone hafta kick in with him?...she groused internally...

Hmmn...Please...Disembodied Warren thought happily...

She likes me...

Even defleshed, dead, and in Hell...The ole Master of the Sunnydale Universe has still got it...he

noted to himself...

And what's a few thousand years in Purgatory when you've got a crack at a waifish hottie like this

for Eternity?...

"I married him the day before yesterday...In 1880..." Buffy-Cicely eyed Halfreck-Cicely as they

moved through the dank London streets...

We stayed at Henry's cottage at the lake that day when he saved me...

I never went back to my hotel...

Poor Will...He was terrified...she smiled...

Never really been with a woman before...Just once at Cambridge...

A "lady of the evening" as we used to say...I guessed anyway, judging from what he left out...

Hired by his mates to celebrate his passing all exams...And his twenty-first birthday...

He didn't remember much...Probably too drunk...And probably didn't get very far at that...

"He was only 21 when he died...Oh..." she gulped back tears...

I was...

Well, doesn't matter...she hastily went on...

Twenty-three, dear...Halfreck smiled thinly...

Glare...

"But he was such a beautiful lover...So sweet...I knew he would be..."

We met again...There...And in London...

Henry knew what was up...But he loved us both so much...Wanted us to be happy...

He didn't know about me...Then...

But he knew how unhappy I was...

And what a good man my Will was...

But...Papa was no fool...He sensed something right away...

And watched and waited to see...

And so did...Simon Farris...

Poor papa...I was so terrified of him finding out...So like a fool...I turned to my Watcher...

Dear old Mr. Farris...Always so concerned for me...

But so annoyed that I failed to see reason...And leave my family...Safe...

Always harping on my duty to the world...

I actually thought he'd be pleased...I was ready to sever my ties...All but one...

Just William...The one bit of romance I'd keep alive in me...

He couldn't conceal his rage that time...Buffy-Cicely noted...

All the effort he wasted on me...Training me to be the Greatest of the Slayers...

To be thrown away on some fool poet?...Some piece of dirt from the gutter?...

He was ready to take the Chairmanship of the Council...One step away...

If I could defeat the Angelis pride...It would be his like that...

And I...Would be at his side...Ruling the Council...And who knew...With the power of the Council

behind us...

"Guess that was one of the less successful Watcher-Slayer relationships..." she noted wryly...

I was...Horrified...I'd never suspected what he had had up his sleeve...He'd been closer to me than

anyone but Papa and Henry for all these years...And...Now...

I saw him for the first time...And what he had had in store for me...All this time...

The King of the Universe needed his Queen Slayer...And really did need her...Or at least a Slayer...

He tried to conceal it again and told me his only concern was for me and William...That I would be

endangering myself and William...Even the Council might take offense...

I believed him...Now...

So...I had no one...Just dear Henry...

And Will...

Neither of whom knew what the issues at stake were...

"But...You had your duty..." Halfreck-Cicely noted hastily...

The Angelis pride was a great danger...And you had no right to leave with them in the streets...

"I know what my duty is...Simon..." Buffy-Cicely replied...Drifting a bit...

Ummn...Halfreck-Cicely stared...

"Buffy?..." she asked...

You're in a vision now...No need to drift away...

She blinked and continued...

"I decided...To take my chance...And escape...With Will..."

I'd have money from Mama's inheritance...Even enough to help his sister and brother...

We could just go...Go and never think of any of it again...

I could live a normal life...With the man I loved...

Of course...I still had to ask him...Buffy-Cicely smiled at Halfreck-Cicely...

And I did...Three days before I sent him to die...

In London...In the rooms Henry had lent him...And so kindly refrained from asking questions as to

whether I was seeing him there...

Oh...He was so...

Shocked...

"Here's the arrangement I propose William..." I started...So frightened I...The cultured Miss

Addams...

Couldn't come up with a better opening than the English equivalent of "Here's the deal..."

Marry...Me...? I thought he was going to die on the spot...

And we had been at it preety rigorously...

It was my turn to be terrified...He took so long to answer...

He didn't want my father's money...He told me...Though he appreciated the power of money to

change lives...

And I had to understand...He might be poor his whole life long...Unable to make anything like the

living I'd been accustomed to...

I had the living...I told him...Not enormous...But...We'd manage until his career got underway...

Yes, I had the means of living...

What I needed was a reason to live...

Odd...He wasn't surprised...He'd sensed my sadness...He knew...How much I needed him...

And he knew...That he could give me the love I needed...

Never a moment's doubt...

So...If I could bear what I'd lose...

The answer is...Yes, thank you...Cicely...

It did floor him that I had the rings ready...Inscribed...

I was an unconventional girl even then...

But he'd said a few days before that "Eternity is ours..." was a fine inscription for a wedding

ring...Thinking I meant my distant cousin Sallie...

Romance Palace...Part XXXIV...

Part XXXIV...

"So..." Anya beamed at the harassed young woman standing in front of the

Doublemeat counter trying to quiet her squabbling children long enough to get

her order in...

Buffy being somewhat preoccupied by her visionquest with dear ole Haly...Will

preoccupied with his Buffy-Cicely as she sat blankly in the employees room

oblivious to the world...

"What'll it be...?"

How come you don't got the uniform on?...One of the kiddies narrowly glared at

her...

"Well...I'm management..." Anya beamed again...

We don't wear the uniforms...But I do wear the hat...

She put Buffy's hat on...Beaming yet...Her retail experience never having come

in more handy...

Kind of nice actually...For once she really was the best person for the crucial

task at hand...Saving Buffy and Will's second jobs for Babbie's sake...

Joey, stop it...the mother pulled him back...

"You ain't one of them..." the boy sneered... "I'll bet the real people are

dead in back...You shot 'em and you're gonna kill us when we turn around..."

Well...The thought crossed her mind...If that's your...Wish...

Mom!...Make her do the Doublemeat song...

Hmmn...They have a song?...Oh, right...The one Xander sings all the time...

"Enough, Joey!...Tell the lady what you want and go sit down..."

Ummn...He glared at Anya...And the hat...

"I wanna hear the song!..."

Sure...Anya smiled...And began...

Rather enjoying the grudging, defeated look on lil' Joey's face as she sang

both verses...

Hey, sometimes you need the Slayer...Or a mighty witch or sorcerer...Or a man

with incredible powers of love...

And sometimes you need a first-rate retailer...With extensive customer

relations experience...

"We're almost there..." Halfreck-Cicely paused as she and Buffy-Cicely stood

near a dark alleyway...Lights from a few taverns and shops dimly cutting

through the murk...

"Are you sure you want to continue, Buffy?...There's no need for you to see

this..." she told her...

"You're so considerate Halfreck..." Buffy-Cicely eyed her...

Just like you were in 1880...I'm remembering more every minute...

But thanks, I'll keep on with it...My Dawny's wish after all...Right?...

Ye..ah...Halfreck-Cicely replied...Hesitantly...

And a wish is a wish...Buffy-Cicely noted...

Like mine was...

Ummn...Yeah...Halfreck-Cicely eyed her...

This is not how I envisioned this little scheme would break...she thought

nervously...

Ah...But my little Slayer friend is waiting to see nasty fiendish Dru do the

evil deed...Of course...A leetle guilt absolution...

Well, dear...Haly noted to herself...Dru did do it...But...You may not find as

much absolution or comfort in that as you're hoping...

Not when you see and hear our poor William screaming for you in his last

throes...The Slayer who could have saved him...

And you...Safe at home, having your leetle cry in your room...

Time for us to settle our little bargain...And for you to pay in full...she

thought in triumph...

Ummn?...Haly felt...A pull...Hey?...

I'm not on call...she thought...

D'Hoffryn?...What the...?

Halfreck vanished, leaving a bewildered Buffy-Cicely alone...

"No!..." Buffy screamed...

"Halfreck!...Come back..."

I'm not done yet!...Come back!...

What the...? Willow stared at Halfreck-Cicely in her 1880 dress...

Now in the middle of the Magic Box's main room...

"You must be...Halfreck?..." Giles smiled at her...

"And you must be...Ready to die..." Haly glared back...

So...That's Buffy in 1880...

She looks good with a few extra pounds...And the brunette is a kinda nice

change...Willow thought...

Ummn...Spike...? Anya called inwardly...

You got something, demon girl?...he called back within...

Ummn...Anya?...No offense...

Whoa...Poor Spike is desperate...she thought sympathetically...

Not yet...But could you ask Will back there which keys I press for a DM

special, Double cheesy fries, and chocolate Double shakes?...

Yeah, sure...Let us know if Giles calls...Please...he faded out...

Oh God, poor guy...she thought sadly...

"Let me go..." Halfreck narrowly eyed the Watcher and his assistant...

Your friend's consciousness is in my vision spell...If you don't release

me...She spends the rest of her natural life as a vegetable...

"We called you Halfreck...Just as the Council did in 1880...No reason to take

offense..." Giles replied...

It won't work, guys...she smiled at them...

"Wishing Buffy free of me will not end my work on her previous wish...Didn't

Anyanka tell you?..."

We know that...Giles smiled back...

We just want to prevent the odds from rising against our Buffy...And Cicely...

Willow, care to do the honors?...he grinned at her...

"Halfreck...Our wish is for you to continue your little replay of 1880...With

no interference from the Council...Or D'Hoffryn..." she eyed the demon...

And...For it to be final...Completing the cycle you started in 1880...How ever

it turns out...

Hmmn...Haly eyed them...

"That's it?...I can go back?..."

With no additional help...And this as your last chance...

Otherwise...You stay right here...And we'll take our chances with our Buffy...

"You could spend the rest of our lives and even Eternity in this room,

Halfreck..." Giles noted...Or, you can take your best shot at our

Buffy-Cicely...

"I don't need any help...And I wasn't even allowed it...By D'Hoffryn..."she

grinned at them...

As for your "Council"...Please...

The day I need their help is the day I retire...

"Wish...Granted..." she grinned...And vanished...

Hope she has her retirement fund properly set up...Giles smiled at Willow...

Who nodded but...

"Giles...?"

There wasn't more we could do Willow...Just cut Halfreck off from additional

support if dear Quentin or D'Hoffryn tries to interfere...And give Buffy a

moment's brief rest in the fight...

"She can do this, Willow...She lost a round last time, perhaps...But she's back

for round 2...And Buffy learns from her mistakes..."

Willow nodded dutifully...

"But...Does Cicely?..."

"So sorry, dear..." Haly smiled at Buffy-Cicely...

Your little friends had some ideas of interfering...But that's all settled...

"What did you do to them?..."

Absolutely nothing, dear...They saw the sense of the situation and let me come

back to you...

Buffy-Cicely stared at her "demon godmother"...

"I'm telling you the truth, Buffy...They are all fine...So far..."

I guess they figure...You can handle me...she smiled at Buffy-Cicely...

"As I am sure you can...Not that there's anything to "handle"...I'm simply

showing you what happened...As Dawn and you both requested..."

Now...Lets see...Drusilla should be coming by us in just a moment...

And then...William...

"So where's your nutcase counterpart?..." Warren groused...

And remember, I'm just an innocent bystander...

"This is just a re-enactment, sir...er Mears..." Tara-Dru shook herself...We

are not gonna be polite to the creep who murdered us...We are not under that

obligation...

"She'll just be an image of what my counterpart was that night...You don't have

worry..."

Well...Mears giggled...Not while I have you around, eh baby...?

"However...When we leave here...And my still-living demon counterpart comes

after me...In quite a rage over my abandoning her...Again...After only

returning a short time ago after twenty-two years..."

You may want to be back in Hell by then...she finished...

Hmmn...Yeah...

Thanks...Say...

"Demonic Dru...Likes you?..."

She's...Lonely...Tara-Dru replied...

Even a demon needs someone to talk to...And all her "family" is gone now...

Whatever else I am...I am her counterpart...Her..."Sister"...in a sense...

Hmmn...So where's my...Warren began...

"Bastards like you, sir...er Mears...Have already merged with their demons..."

She scanned a familiar alleyway...Down here...and out into the courtyard...That

where the..."family" is coming...she thought, gulping...

"Though hopefully...Somewhere in the multiple dimensions of this infinite

universe...There are other Warren Mearses and some of them, at least...Are nice

guys..."

"Hey...baby...Nice guys finish last..."

"Tell that to your buddies...If any...In Hell, sir...er Mr. Mears..."

Damn that Drusilla politeness bone...

"Will?..." A somewhat beleaguered Anya looked back at him as he came up...In

uniform...

Assistant Manager Walthrop to the rescue...Just in time, we're nearly out of

everything...

She dropped back to him a moment...

"Is Buffy...Ok?..."

He nodded...

"There's nothing more I can do for her right now except believe that she can

handle Halfreck..."

I'm back to my old job...Waiting and hoping...

Watching, you might say...he smiled wryly...

But this time...I know she's fighting for us...

Anya stared at him...

"You do know that Spike is saying exactly the same thing...?" she looked at him

as he took his position at the griller...

We're preety much of one mind on this one...he grinned at her, firing up the

griller...

And we are one person, in the end...

Romance Palace...Part XXXV...

Part XXXV...

"Xander?..." Anya looked up at the latest customer to enter...And his companions...

Dawn...?

Found her and...Rin Tin Tin here...Just outside...I went looking for her after she hung up...Xander

explained...When I couldn't find her at the house...

I figured...She must be headed here...

Will came over from the griller...

"Clem...You're supposed to be protecting her...Keeping her out of danger..."Anya frowned...

"It was my fault..." Dawn cut in...Looking at Clem embarrassedly...Sorry...

I told him Buffy ok'd our helping her out...

"Damnit, Nibs...You should be..." Will looked at Dawn's sad and guilty face...And sighed...

Clem looking equally sheepish and guilty...

My poor lil' sis...In-law...Who made the wish...With the best intentions...And, perhaps, somehow

knowing it the right thing to do...To put an end to all the ghosts of our past...However it works out...

My God, Spike...I never quite realized...How much Dawn looks like...

Amelia...Spike finished...

So...That's why you never could bring yourself to kill her...

How should I know?...the demon groused...

I guess so...he conceded...

Our Amelia...Our little sister's face, made from our Buffy as she was...A gift from the Powers that

Be?...Will thought in wonder...Staring at her...

And perhaps, however unconsciously on Buffy's part...A gift from our dear Cicely...

The first person to recognize something human alive in me...A little of Buffy...And...Me...In her...

"Anya...One mo..." he called to her...

And turning back to Dawn, led her and Clem back toward the employees' room...Where Buffy sat

motionless...

"Xander, back here and grab a hat..." Anya told him...Unlocking the counter gate for him...

Geesch...The next guy in line behind him thought...

Turnover here is fast...

"She's..." Dawn looked at Will...As they sat with the dazed Buffy...

"Absolutely fine...But she's still locked in there with Halfreck...Reliving that night...When we were

separated..." he told her kindly...

And she's going to come back to us...In just a bit...

"So...Just sit with her...And tell her...You know she'll make it..."

And that I'm trying to keep my end up out here...As a good Assistant Manager and future papa

should...

And this time...She's not alone...And never will be again, no matter what happens tonight...

She nodded, eyes tearing...

"Keep a sharp look-out, Clem, old fellow..." Will told him sternly...

Give a call if anyone or anything manifests or even walks back here but me or Anya or Xander...

"Will...I...I'm sorry..." Dawn looked at him...

"Had to be done sooner or later Nibs...She had to face that night again..."

I'll tell her...Her husband loves her...And is waiting for her...she eyed him...

"Please do...Sis..." he smiled at her and headed back...

"There she is...Oh, God..." Tara-Dru cried...

Wow...Resemblance is uncanny...disembodied Warren sneered...

As they watched Drusilla stroll quietly but with an expectant air...Along the alleyway...

Seeking...The One who'd been promised to her...

"Angelis..." Tara-Dru shook...Closing her eyes as Angelis strode past her, unseeing...

Oh right, your demon dad...Warren noted...

So..Shove a stake in him and call it even...

"He's a vision image, sir...er...Moron..."

Though the idea was appealing...she rather happily noted...

At least her Dru nature wasn't rendering her totally helpless in the presence of That One...

"I can't affect him or Dru here...I can only try to reach Buffy...If I can do that..."

"Drusilla..." Angelis sharply called...

The vampiress whirled...

"Papa Angelis was angry...Naughty Dru mustn't run off..." she whispered out loud...Eyeing him...

Oh God...Tara-Dru sighed...How I hated that in her...

Used to drive me crazy...Even from limbo...

Hell, I was a gentle, sweet girl...Devoted to the Church and all...But until Mr. Manic Killer showed

up I was coping quite well with my clairvoyance and all...A fine student...

I was even good with my uncles' machinery...

I came from hard-headed, practical miner stock...Tara-Dru explained to her disembodied companion...We don't talk to ourselves

out loud...

All that was Angel's...Angelis' doing...Years of psychological torture...But I held out almost to the

end...Even his slowly murdering nearly all my poor defenseless relatives didn't do it...

And all for no reason except he had lots of time on his hands and thought it would be fun...

"Kinda like you, nerd-boy..." Tara-Dru noted to Warren...

So...he thought...I'd have made quite the vampire, eh...

Yeah...This babe...Wants her Warren-daddy...

Darla caught up with...the "family"...Equally annoyed if not more so...

Dru whimpered...

God...Tara-Dru rolled her eyes...If me old mum had ever seen me like that...Her daughter that

thing's doormat...

"Dru's waiting for her prince...The fairy told her he's coming...Soon...Here..." Dru explained to her

glaring "relatives"...

God, bitch...You've abilities he can't even begin to conceive of, let alone match...Tara-Dru frowned

at her whining counterpart...

At least kick his ass before you go and murder my friend's husband...And dear ole "Grandmum's"

as well...

"I'll bet you could..." Warren noted solemnly...

Shut up...Sir...er...Ah...Forget it...Just shut up...

The pride moved out into a larger street...A crossing...

A young, shattered, and extremely drunken...William stumbled across the street...

Oh God...Mr. Walthrop!...Tara-Dru cried...

Will!...

The "family" bumped him out of their way...Fortunately for him, this street was still rather crowded

and reasonably well-lit...

"Watch where you're going!..." he cried futilely at them...Darla and Angelis taking no notice of the

little man...

But Dru turning and eyeing him...Carefully...

Her...Prince?...The one the fairy lady had told her of?...So dashing...

Oh God...Tara-Dru bowed her head...

And I...she thought...Encouraged her...

Well?...Mears complained...So get Buffy over here and tell her how nutcase killed my future best

bot customer...That's why you're here right?...

And why innocent bystander spirit Mears got dragged in...So much so that your nutty sis may come

gunning for me someday...

"You're right about that Mears...Whatever else Dru is...My counterpart is very fierce about

defending family..." Tara-Dru noted...

Gets it from me and mine...You should have seen me uncles in their prime...They could've handled

Angelis himself back then if they'd had warning...Even old as they were, they gave him a rough

time...Yeah...

You're probably quite right to be worried...And she can pursue you into Hell...The one place you

were safe from my poor Willow at least...

Ummn...Warren gulped...

Unless of course I chose to speak up for you and get you that ticket into Purgatory,

sir...er...Jackass...So just shut up and come on...

Hmmn...Ok...

Say...How come the little putz poet is so important, anyway?...Warren asked...

Thought Buffy didn't like Spike...And there was that Slayer-Vampire thing...

"Sir?..." Damn... "Mears? How the hell did you ever get that poor Katrina to date you in the first

place...?"

"Will..." Buffy-Cicely gasped...As 1880 Will stumbled on past her and Halfreck-Cicely in the

street...Heading for an alleyway...

Tell me...Buffy...Halfreck smiled at her...

Time to begin the final strokes...

"Why did you leave him out there after I sent him away?"

You must have known how he'd feel...How desperate he must be...

Even if you felt he had to go...You might have tried to see that he got safely home...Sent someone

after him...

But...You sat in your room...And you had your cry...And...

"If I had gone out...After him...I would have told him everything...And left with him that night..."

Buffy-Cicely replied...

Hmmn...So leaving him to die was the best course of action...Well...Haly sighed...It was your

decision to make...And I guess he wasn't all that valuable...

"I didn't think...I didn't realize how much danger he was in..."

I thought I'd saved him...

There was no one to send...No one turn to...Henry was in hospital, recovering from Darla...

Darla?...Wait...Yes...I remember now...

Halfreck eyed her...

Simon had told me...After poor Henry was brought in...Weak, but not tainted with her foul blood,

thank God...

That Darla would flee London after attracting so much attention...The Angelis pride would pull

up..."stakes"...At least for a few days until the hue and cry ended...

And...I did send someone out...To protect him...Buffy-Cicely eyed Halfreck-Cicely...

I sent...You...she stared at her mirror image...

I sent you...I told you...

"Buffy!..." They heard a cry...

And looked, shocked...At a distraught Drusilla...Running up to them...

Oh...God...Halfreck-Cicely sighed within...

The shit is really hitting the fan tonight...

"You told me...Told Her...Someone would be coming tonight..."

Someone...Different...

Dashing...

Just be in Drury Road around ten o'clock...And look out for him...In the alleyways...

Oh...Tara-Dru closed her eyes...

And you were speaking to me too...You bitch...Covering all bases, weren't you, Halfreck?...

You called to me in limbo...Hinted he could help me...Free me...Or at least ease my loneliness...

"Tara?...Buffy-Cicely eyed her...

I encouraged it, Buffy...Pushed her...It...To listen to Halfreck...

I was so lonely...Tara-Dru sobbed...So trapped...

Oh, God...I didn't know...I didn't really understand then where I was or what had happened to me...

But I knew...He'd suffer in some way...

But I went ahead and pushed her...My dark half...To meet him...she dropped her head into her

hands...

"Forgive me, Cicely...Forgive me, Will!...Oh God!..."

Buffy stared at her...My nemesis...The thing that killed my husband...And took his demon for her

unholy lover...

The poor lost girl Angelis tortured and murdered. for no reason..And Angel abandoned to her fate,

that thoughtless bastard...Whom my husband...My sweet Will...Loving and kind man...The truest

form of gentleman...Did his best to comfort...And save...

My poor trapped friend...

She knelt beside the stricken girl...A sobbing, pleading Drusilla she'd never imagined seeing...And

hugged her...

"It wasn't your fault, Tara...Dru...It wasn't...You were all alone...No one hearing you..."

Until my Will came to help you...

"He freed you, didn't he?..."

He called to me in limbo...Tara-Dru nodded...So kind, never accusing...Never blaming me...

Then...In 1977...In Prague...When Spike and Dru were trying to hide from the mobs...He helped me

cry out to some of the people while she...It...Rested...And expose their hiding place...

When Dru was so weakened by the fire they set to destroy her and Spike...I was able to flee limbo at

last...

"Buffy...Believe me...I wasn't aware of any of this...When I came to you guys as Tara..."

I know...Buffy patted her gently...

But you came to Sunnydale to help Will and me...As soon as you'd grown and could

come...Without even knowing it...You pushed us on the path to recognizing each other...

Tara-Dru stared at her...

"Will was always searching for me...In every Slayer Spike met...And I was looking for him...In

Angel, the vamp with a soul...And Riley...So kind, so much like that part of him..."

But it all started coming together...The year you showed up in Sunnydale...Willow's will spell

triggering our memories...The Initiative helping Will to begin freeing himself from Spike and seeing

me for who I was...

I don't say you arranged that...But you were there...And I think...You were pulling Spike and Dru

apart...And us together...Even if unconsciously...

Ummn...Halfreck-Cicely interrupted brightly...

The original Dru is here...Round the corner...

Waiting for William...

Buffy-Cicely rose up...

"No!..." Tara-Dru grabbed at her...

"Don't Buffy!...She wants you to see it..." she glared at Halfreck-Cicely...

Don't do it to yourself...It's what she wants...

Yes...I know...Buffy-Cicely smiled at her...Friend...

I know Tara...

But I have to see...

Romance Palace...Part XXXVI...

Part XXXVI...

"Wait here, Tara..." Buffy-Cicely told her gently...

Yeah, babe...disembodied Warren sneered...Daddy's here to hold your...

Blow it, s...ss...sir!...Damn!...Jackass!...Tara-Dru hollered...

Tara?...Buffy-Cicely eyed her...Hearing just her part...

Hardly...The sort of thing, dear...she found herself unconsciously thinking...Cicely's Victorianism

kicking in a bit...

"Mears is here...I needed his help to reach Willow and Giles...The little pig got dragged along

when Anya strengthened me to get to you..." Tara-Dru explained...

"Warren?..Helped you...?"

Long story, but it's in his interest...Tara-Dru noted...

Ok...I can't suspend the moment forever, Buffy...Are you coming or no?...Halfreck glared...

Yeah...she eyed the demon...And started...

"Buffy!..." Tara-Dru cried...

This...What she shows you now...Is not forever...You know that, now...

William loves you...Forever...Cicely...

"No one knows that better than me..."

Buffy looked back at...A pleading, loving...Drusilla...And nodded...

Hey there, dark-haired and nineteenth centurish ladies...I ever mention...Daddy likes

twins?...disembodied Warren leeringly called out to the departing Cicelies...

Nothing like a matched set...And Slayer, the brunette look is you...

Buffy can't hear you Mears...I'm blocking you out...Tara-Dru replied...

S...ss...Sir...Damn it!...Oh, well...Tara-Dru sighed within...Original Brit mum and second Yank

mum would both want me to be polite to anyone...Under any circumstances...As Buffy-Cicely and

Halfreck-Cicely rounded the corner...

So...Ok...Tara...I killed you...Accidentally I might point out...Does that have to be the last word in

our relationship?...Warren resumed to the waiting Tara-Dru...

"Who is that awful person hovering around?..." Halfreck-Cicely eyed Buffy-Cicely...As they

disappeared from Tara-Dru' s view...

"Giles...?" Willow looked at the Watcher as they sat waiting in the main room of the Box...

Anya says there's been no change in her as yet...he replied...Laying his cell phone down...

"Kinda figured..." she nodded...You being so easy to read and all...she grinned wryly...

Thank you so much, Giles...she stared at him...

"If you'd hadn't come home that day I'd'of lost my soul and my chance to see Tara again

someday...forever..."

Over...Warren Mears...Urrgh...

"Oh...Willow..." he sighed...

Xander's the man of that hour...

"Yeah...But without your coming...And boosting me...He wouldn't have had his chance...I would

have lost out to Buffy...And be right now in some demon lair, plotting revenge...Like every second-

level, returning baddy we've ever dealt with..."

"Oh..." he grinned back... "First-level, no doubt..."

Well...she grinned...Maybe...

But you know as well as I do...

Somebody would have come along and saved the world from me in any case...

Like Spike used to say...There's been Apocalypse plans since the first day...

None's succeeded yet...Probably...None ever will...

But I would have been lost...Xander wouldn't have had his chance to reach me...

"Thank you..." she leaned over and kissed him...

Whoa...she blinked...

Geesch...How did Buf ever keep her cool around that Ripper...Energy?...

And that's just from a quick peck...she eyed him nervously...As he patted her shoulder...

"I love you, too, my dear..." he nodded...

"And I am so proud of you...As proud as I am of Buffy..."

Ummn...Ok...Well...So maybe it should have been "Bi, now"...she thought, reddening slightly as she

returned to her seat...

But that's got nothing to do with my love for my Tara...

Maybe...I really oughta think about getting out a little more...

Tara would want me to...If only to keep me from bothering Xander and Anya...Or turning to Clem...

She looked into the shop...Then back...

"Rupert...? Are you sure there isn't anything else we can do for her?..." she asked...

Just wait...And pray...he eyed her...But smiled...

"Buffy and Cicely...And their William...can handle this, Willow..."

They've been waiting for another chance at her for a hundred and twenty years...

Hmmn-hmm...she nodded, eying Giles...Hmmn...

Rupert never did say what happened with Olivia...

Wonder how the guys would take me and...

I mean...Sorta a "this brief lifetime" stopgap, "he needs a nice girl to look after him" kinda thing...

Tara would approve...Kinda...

Maybe...

Whoa...? Did I just call him Rupert?...

"You have great things within you..." the 1880 Drusilla image told the William image...Backed up

against the wall of the alley...

"I can unleash your imagination...Do you want that?..."

Halfreck-Cicely eyed Buffy-Cicely carefully...

Tears streaming down her face...

William...she gently murmured...

But still she stayed...And watched...

A gasping Will dropped to his knees...Shaking in his death throes...As Dru left him, wandering off...

"Unnh..." he shivered...Oh...

Will...Buffy whispered gently...I'm here...I've never left you...

"Cicely..." he cried softly... "Cicely..."

"I always loved you William...Always..."

I'm here, Will...It's all right...She tried to reach to him but her hands felt nothing...

I'm so sorry Will...For everything, my sweet darling...

But I'm here...You're not alone...And you won't be alone again...

Neither of us...

It's all right...

It's all right...

He stared blankly...Repeating her name until he died...

After five long, quiet minutes Buffy stood up and eyed Halfreck squarely...

"We can go now..." she said simply...

Tara!...she called...

Romance Palace...Part XXXVII...

Part XXXVII...

Tara-Dru hesitantly looked up at Buffy-Cicely and Halfreck-Cicely as they came round the corner

from where they had left poor Will's body...

"He's gone...Tara..." Buffy-Cicely eyed her...

"But...This time..." she wiped the rolling tears...

This time...I was there for him...

"See...I...I had to...be...there..." she fumbled back more tears...

"Oh...Tara...my Will...my poor Will..." she burst into tears...

Tara-Dru hugged Buffy-Cicely as she sobbed...Or as best she could in a visionquest...

"He cried out for me...He didn't hate me...He didn't die hating me...Oh..." Buffy gasped out...

No, Buf...No...He never stopped loving you...Not for one minute, Cicely...Tara-Dru gently

murmured...

Halfreck-Cicely waiting nervously...Fully aware of the magnitude of her defeat...

And left with only one faint hope now...

Even if it meant a major transgression and antagonizing D'Hoffryn...

"I was wrong..." A composed Buffy quietly explained to Tara-Dru, a defeated and shaken Halfreck

standing by them in the London street of her 1880 re-enactment... "To try to abandon my duty..."

"But my duty isn't to save people from Death..."

I can't do that...No one, not a Slayer...she glanced at Halfreck...Not even a "justice" demon can...

Everyone I've ever saved...No matter how many times I save them...Even ole Jonathan...

Will die one day...

No Slayer can change that...I've learned that the hard way these past years...

"William, my family from 1880, Mom in this time...I can't even save the people I love most..."

But...I also know now...That their souls live on...

I learned that the hard way too...

"What I do is not so much saving people from these creatures..."

Neat as the saving can be to my ego...And especially to poor lost Slayers like Faith...Who

desperately need that feeling of meaning something to the folks of the here and now...

I save the trapped souls of those poor folks lost in horror...Free them to find whatever fate and,

hopefully...She eyed Tara-Dru...Happiness...They can...

"I should have told Will what I was...When I married him...And stayed as close by London and my

duties as my family situation would allow..."

We should have been out there together, even then...Fighting...

And if I had lost him...Even that night...To the other Dru...

I should have had no doubt that he'd still be with me...And waiting for me...

She turned to her "demon godmother"...

"I want my husband back with me, Halfreck...Fighting with me this time...Even if I lose him

tomorrow to a well-shot arrow or a sunbeam..."

I do owe you though...You gave me a chance to be with him when he died...I needed to be there...she

paused...

I've needed that for a century...A chance to properly mourn him...

And...she smiled for a second...You've helped to greatly enhance his fighting skills...God...We may

be together a very long time here...

Though never so long as we will be...Afterwards...

But...I also have a complaint for your boss...Regarding customer service...

"I was supposed to "watch over" him..." Halfreck-Cicely eyed her...

Those were your words, dear...And I did "watch"...

If you'd wanted me to intervene and protect him...Well...You should've checked your own

Council's literature on "justice" demons...

Only one wish at a time...

Buffy-Cicely stared at her...

"I see...But...You had your own interest at stake here, didn't you?...Just as Farris and the Council

did..."

You wanted Dru to turn William...And release Spike...

"But...Fate...Had a leetle surprise for you...Spike wasn't interested...He stayed by Dru, with Will

pushing him to protect her..."

I'm disappointed in your D'Hoffryn...Anya had told us he enforced a strict code...

"Engineered to allow for us to take action to lead our clients to our path...Nothing comes free in life,

dear..." Halfreck-Cicely replied...But there was a resigned note in her voice...

A sound of defeat...But a "jd" must soldier on...And never say die...

Can't actually...

"Either you pay in service as one of us...Or the client eventually pays in remorse, heartbreak, and

suffering..."

"She...And Mr. Walthrop have paid enough.." Tara-Dru glared at the demon...

And summoning you was the Council's doing...

"But I did take her offer in the end..." Buffy-Cicely sighed, interrupting...

Whatever games my then Watcher and the Council were playing, I did take the offer of "help"...

"You thought you'd saved him, Buffy..." Tara-Dru replied... "They had Dru...Me...waiting for

him...You were tricked..."

And it's long time you stopped blaming yourself...You saw...Will doesn't blame you...You know all

he wants is you back with him...

You should take your little ghost friend and vamoose while you can, Drusilla...Halfreck-Cicely

stared at her...

"Your real counterpart is seeking you already...And will be pulling you back..."

Tara?...Buffy-Cicely eyed her...

She nodded... "It wants me back now that I'm a spirit again...And It is my counterpart...I can't keep

from it for long...And the power I got from Anya is fading out...I can't stay here much longer..."

"Can't you be reborn again?...You're free now..." Buffy-Cicely stared at her...

Yeah, babe...disembodied Warren perked up again...Lets cut this scene and head back to Earth...We

can be born as fraternal twins, huh?...Kinky...

God, sir...You are one sick puppy...Tara-Dru groused within...

"I've had my shot, Buffy...I don't think I can get another...At least not for a while..."

Buffy-Cicely turned to Halfreck-Cicely...

"Halfreck..."

"No, Buffy!..." Tara-Dru insisted... "I won't be...And I won't let you be...Under obligation to this

thing..."

No #$%&ing way...she smiled at her friend...Who nodded back, smiling...

I thought these two were polite Victorian ladies...Halfreck-Cicely groused to herself...That's no

polite way to talk...

"I'll be all right..." Tara-Dru continued... "I'll be able to cope better now that I understand...And, in

time...I'll get my crazy "sis" to try Angel again or find someway...I don't want Halfreck's kind of

help..."

Hey, baby...You don't need any other "help" with Warren-daddy around...Mears leered within...

Hmmn...Maybe there is one thing I could ask Halfreck for...Tara-Dru sighed within...

"We won't leave you like this, Tara...Will and I...And Willow...Will help you..." Buffy-Cicely told

her...Taking her hand as best she could in a vision...

Just keep Dru in LA...Or get her to come to Sunnydale after us...

"LA..." Tara-Dru replied...Eyeing Buffy...

I don't want It sensing who Willow is...What she means to me...And catching her off-guard in

Sunnydale...

And no chasing after me until my god-kid is born...she grinned...Buffy grinning back...

Our kid is gonna have a plethora of great god-parents...Buffy thought...

"I'll be ok..." Tara-Dru smiled at her... "I'll keep clear of It as long as I can...And do what I can to

restrain It when It pulls me back..."

We will come...Though I can't promise to keep Willow away...Buffy-Cicely smiled at her...

Tara-Dru began to fade out...

"God bless you, Drusilla..." Buffy-Cicely called to her... "Thank you...Tara..."

"Tell Will...Mr. Walthrop...Thank you...For keeping part of me alive...And I am so happy for

him...At last..." Tara-Dru smiled back at her...

"And tell Willow...I love her...Forever..."

And...It's ok about Giles...Or anyone else who can make her happy...

She disappeared...

Giles...? Buffy-Cicely thought...

"Will!..." Dawn called to him at the grill, standing in the break room doorway...

Clem on dutiful watch beside Buffy...

William raced over...

"She's...Crying..." Dawn pointed to the blank Buffy in fear...

Tears running slowly down her face...

Will sat beside her, smiling at Dawn...

"She'll be ok, Niblett..." he nodded... "Buffy...? Girl, I'm here..." he hugged her gently...

Don't fret...Darling pet...It's all right...

It's all right, love...My love...

Will is here...Always...For you...

"Till the end of the world...And beyond..."

Spike echoing the words within...

"I'm not done yet...Miss Addams..." Halfreck glared at Buffy...

My wish and Dawny's are over, Halfreck...And I have no intention of joining your little firm...

"Then...Lets see which of us gets out of here first..." Haly smiled...

Bet it'll be me...

Buffy stared at her...

"I'll played you before, Buffy...It's not so hard..."

They were suddenly in Spike's crypt...Both as Buffy now...

Spike stood before them...Another vision, Buffy realized...

"I want you..." Halfreck-Buffy told him solemnly...

But...It's killing me...

Goodbye...William...

The image Spike looked at her in astonished resignation...

And vanished...

Well...Buffy thought...I thought he seemed kinda...Slow to try to restart things after we blew his

crypt...

But he was right back, pestering me to tell the guys about us...Within in a few days...

Not grim poverty or my father in 1880...Not a vengeance demon...an insane vampiress...a scheming

Watchers' Council...Or even an angry Slayer...and all the foes he fought these long lonely years

could stop his loving heart from reaching its destination...

That's my guy...she thought proudly...

Halfreck-Buffy smiled at her twin...Good, no...?

But Buffy smiled back...Coming over to her twin...Speaking softly and coolly...

"You failed then too, Halfreck...William didn't give up..."

As for your little threat...If you could take my body with any hope of success you'd have tried it then

or in 1880...

If you try to take my body now...He'll know...And so will Anya and the others...

And expulsion of a foreign demon?...For Giles and Willow?...

Kids-stuff...

Halfreck-Buffy stared at her...Buffy came closer...

"You see...You and your boss never had a chance...Bitch..."

"But just to be sure..." she grabbed Haly's pendant, tearing it loose from her neck...Halfreck-Buffy

screamed...

"D'Hoffryn!..."

Ow!...Clem howled as Halfreck appeared in the breakroom of the Palace...

Standing beside him...And on his left foot...

"Aww...Arghh.!...Get away from me you hairy lap dog!..." a human Halfreck shouted at the

frightened and pained Clem...

Unfortunately in ancient Egyptian...

Buffy stirred, started to stand up...Confused...Now holding Haly's pendant in a clenched left fist...

"Will!..." Dawn screamed...Seeing her move...

"Buffy?..." Will cried...

She blinked and looked at him...

"William?..." she let out a gasp...

Babbie?...She looked down nervously...

"Fine as far as I know..." he replied...

"How...Long?..." she asked, staring at him...

"Barely an hour..." he smiled... "Are you all right?..."

Hmmn-hmm...I think so...

"You?..." she asked...

"Sure...This was a piece of cake after that last century..." he grinned at her...

However...Trust being the basis of their lasting relationship...

And Spike groaning within...

"Well...to be honest...We were freaking out of both our minds..." he eyed her...And came beside

her...

Though we both knew...You'd come through...he took her hand...And kissed it...

"Will..." she looked at him...

I remember...Everything...now...

"I'm..." she began...He interrupted, patting her hand...

"What matters, pet...Is that we're here now...Together..."

Halfreck?...Dawn stared at human Halfreck, now nervously looking for an exit, while muttering

what were no doubt the most lethal of curses ancient Egyptian had to offer...

"What's up...I sensed..." Anya appeared...Having teleported from up front after dodging round the

grill...

Haly?...She stared at human Halfreck now sobbing brokenly as she muttered more ancient Egyptian

curse words at the Walthrops...

A young woman now, rather darker-skinned...With rather bad teeth...Though still baring a

reasonable resemblance to Cicely...

"She's human now, Anya...I think..." Buffy eyed her friend...

I got her pendant...Like you said last time we had that trouble with her...She opened her fist to reveal

the darkened pendant...

"Ah...Great job, Buffy..." Anya nodded...

Now if you'd just mention the pendant in front of my Xander...

Anya teleported back up front to a concealed spot by the main grill...

To find Xander dealing rather well...

Happily teasing a couple of young girls who were clearly deep in his thrall...

And rather disappointed to find that their Prince of Doublemeat Palace had a Princess...

Rather a Wicked Stepmother of a Princess...

Who urged them to either purchase more items...Or to thoroughly enjoy their Doublemeat Specials...

At a table...

Clem "took charge" of Halfreck under Dawn's watchful eye...

Buffy still tentative...Looking at Halfreck...As Will watched her...

She turned back to him...

Will you tell me something?...she looked in his eyes...

"How did you know...?"

You knew who I was Will...Almost right away...

"Of course I didn't know, Cics...Not until that night...Though I felt...Something about this Slayer..."

Hey!...A loud grouse from within...

And Spike felt it too...he hastily added...

But that night...In the bar...

When you called to me...

And said...

"You're beneath me?..." she repeated...

"That made you believe I was...? And that I still..." she eyed him...

It was your only way of catching my attention, pet...

"Will, I'm here..." was what you really said...

Oh...Will...she sobbed...

Why do you still love me?...Why don't you hate me?...For...

Everything...

Cicely...Buffy...he stared at her...

"The truth is...I wasn't sure...How you felt..."

I did despair...

But I couldn't give up hope...You gave me so much, Cicely, back then...In such a short time...

I couldn't let go of it...Hell, even poor ole Spike couldn't fight its hold on us...And was pulled here

to Sunnydale...

And here, after you came back...After I thought...We thought...We'd lost you again...Forever...

You started coming back to me...In stages...Struggling against your better instincts and the memory

of our previous twentieth century encounters...

And I started believing again...That there was hope...

If you could come to love me...Us...As we knew you did...Terrifying as the situation must have

been...As Buffy...

Cicely's love couldn't have died...

"So...When I was pulled back in, after our African sojourn, rather than having to hover around,

trying anything, even to persuade Spike to attack Slayers in hopes they'd be strong enough to kill

us..."

What? Spike cried, within...All those times?...You were trying to kill us!...You crazy...!...

Will crushed him down...

And finally able to run the show again...I went...Home...

To England...To see if there was anything left of my family...Or yours...If you'd left anything

behind...For me...

And then...I knew...I had to come back here...

"Afraid I couldn't help still feeling a little peeved with you..." he grinned...

But it wasn't about...That night...

I knew the truth now...I was just annoyed that it was taking you so long...Impatient...

Always was you know...he smiled...

"An angry young man...Though the past century has taught me a modicum of patience..."

How...? Buffy looked at him...

He bowed his head a moment, smiling back up at her...

"Cicely...Your cousin Henry Foxcroft was the best friend I ever had...The best friend we ever

had...Until our new friends came to bless us...And his love and friendship lasted beyond both our

deaths..."

He carried out your instructions to the letter, Cicely...Will gently smiled at her...Taking her hands...

And four weeks ago...When I found the remains of your old body...And our little Amelia...Buried

besides my coffin in the crypt Henry provided for us...Cicely and Amelia...Walthrop...

"I knew...Beyond all doubt..."

We knew...Spike muttered within...

We knew...William corrected...

Romance Palace...Part XXXVIII...

PG13

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other

owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in the

saddle and romance on the menu...

Part XXXVIII...

"I'd better see about Haly...I think I can translate..." Anya turned to Xander...A brief lull having

appeared in the stream of customers...

She'd managed to slip him the gist of what she knew of Buffy's visionquest...

"Well...Tell Buffy...And Will..." Xander smiled wanly...God, what a year...

"Congratulations..."

I will...she nodded...By the way...Great job, sweetie...she smiled at him...

High praise, coming from someone with 1000 years of customer service experience...he noted...

And on her vanishing, turned to face two more customers...

"A Doublemeat Special, A Fisherman's Delight, two cheesy fries, diet Coke, and...tea..." Willow

grinned at him...Giles beside her...

"Somehow you manage to carry off that hat, Xander..." Giles smiled at him...

In the breakroom, a frustrated Halfreck was desperately trying to sign for her pendant to be

returned...Clem smiling and nodding as pleasantly as he could, offered her a sip of his Slurpy...

She kicked him...Hard...

OW!...He howled...Will and Buffy frowning at the retired vengeance demon...

"Hey!..." Dawn went over and smacked the girl's arm...

He's only trying to be nice to you, you...Thing...

"Sit down and shut up...Or I'll really let you have it..."

You ok, Clem?...

He nodded...

"She's just mad cause I can't understand her..." he noted sympathetically...

"You're a good sort, there, Clem..." Will smiled at him...

Human or demon the world could use more like you...

Haly pointed frantically at Buffy's fist where she still clutched the pendant...

"Oh...No...Kid...No way..." Buffy smiled at her...

Anya reappeared...

"Make sure you keep the pendant away from her..." she noted...

"It's the source of her power or something, right?..." Buffy asked...

Hmm-hmmn, Anya nodded...

And mine...she could not say...Rats...

I love you guys but gee...Do you all hafta be so clueless?...

"Anya?..." Will asked her... "What the hell is she speaking?...I don't recognize Greek or Latin in

it..."

My Cambridge scholar...Who'd know Greek or Latin in a heartbeat...Buffy thought proudly...

"Haly's Egyptian...Very ancient Egyptian...In her human days..." Anya explained...

Kid could do quite well in museum studies...Will grinned...

"Oh-oh..." Anya looked at Halfreck...Who had fallen to her knees and was clearly beseeching her

gods to inflict serious smiting...

What?...Buffy stared at the girl...

"She's offering her recovered soul...Calling on..."

A flash...

"D'Hoffryn?...Hi..." Anya smiled nervously at the demon lord...

Anyanka...he nodded...And looked at the others...Eyeing first Haly then Buffy...

Who drew back towards William...A rather protective stance...

"Miss Summers...Or should I say...Mrs. Walthrop?...And Mr. Walthrop?..."

"Hi guys!..." Willow cheerily called as she and Giles entered...

Whoa...Hey, D'Hoffryn...

"Miss Rosenberg..." he nodded... "Mr. Giles..."

He turned back to Halfreck...Frowning a bit...

"Haly..."

Haly rose and hurried over to the demon lord...Who eyed her rather coolly...

She halted...And began a lament in ancient Egyptian...Which suddenly turned back to English...

"...all that you asked I did...Give me back my Immortal life and power, O great lord...I kiss your feet

in humble..." she realized the others could understand now...

Please D-H...? she finished hastily...

No need to appear excessively submissive in front of these 21st century types...Hell if they'd ever

seen some of the cringing prayers Anyanka used to make to him...

"Halfreck...You know the rules...Miss Summers has taken your pendant...And your Fate is now in

her hands..."

"%&$#!..." Haly slipped back into ancient Egyptian for that one...

Wailing and beating her fists on the floor...

D'Hoffryn sighed...Looking at the others...Whatdaya gonna do?...his expression saying...

The head that wears the vengeance demon lord's crown never rests easy...

"Well, Haly..." he called over to her gently... "Why don't we see what Mrs. Walthrop has to say?..."

Mrs. Walthrop...My sis is the "Mrs. Walthrop..." Dawn thought happily...As she checked poor

Clem's foot...

Nice ring?...Definitely...

"Nothing broken..." she patted her friend on the shoulder...

Hmmn...She eyed him...

Will is gonna need ushers...Xander a shoe?in for Best Man, after all...

Anything wrong?...Clem looked back...Glancing over to the big demon everyone seemed rather

focused on...

"Nah, the Walthrops..." Dawn grinned... "And Willow and Giles got it covered..."

Yeah...He wouldn't look worse than any of Anya's demons in a tux...

And I will need a steady dance partner for the evening...

I mean, hey...The Walthrops deserve a decent ceremony this time round...

D'Hoffryn turned to Buffy...

Who eyed him...Feeling for a stake with one hand...Will's hand with the other...

"I am not your enemy, Buffy...Much as you may feel I am..."

It's true I did want you for my ranks...And do...

Myself...I've never understood why people like you and Willow here...he smiled at her...So resist

what I have to offer...Given your short, often so-imited lives here...

"You think I'd join you?...You and your "justice demon" murdered my husband!..." Buffy replied

coldly...

Hmmn...Giles, you're the expert...Willow whispered to him...

Was that an English accent Buffy was speaking in?...

London, upper class...he replied...My guess is Cicely is anxious to finally have it out with

D'Hoffryn...

"It was your Council who contacted me...And you who accepted Halfreck's offer..." D'Hoffryn

noted...

But...I always operate on the free choice principle...He raised a hand as Buffy started to object...

And as dear Anyanka's told you...he smiled at Anya...I do have compassion...Of a kind...

I wasn't aware that your old Watcher was negotiating with Haly secretly regarding Drusilla...Until it

was too late...

"That was pushing the envelope on that wish..." He eyed Halfreck...

Though it was within the letter of my law...Utilizing any loophole in the wish to allow for the

mission objectives to be achieved...I did feel it was rather...

"You let Will stay..." Willow eyed him... "Prevented his soul from being driven off..."

He would have found a way to stay...Or come back...D'Hoffryn noted, smiling at William...Who,

with Buffy, stared back...

A very determined young man...

I just felt...He deserved an honest chance...To try...

Though I did not prevent Haly from continuing her own efforts...

"However...As you very well knew, Haly...Trying to seize a body and leave my employ without

notice or permission...And an involuntary seizure to boot..."

Haly gulped nervously...But...

I'm afraid I really must leave the decision on you up to Mrs. Walthrop...he sighed at her...

Haly eyed the grim-faced Buffy...And sobbed...

"Hey...?" Leroy, the part-time evening guy, stared at them all...As he came in from the rear

employees' entrance...

What's up...?

A dog-eared, flabby guy with real bad skin sitting at one table with a young dark-haired girl smiled

at him...While a dark-skinned kinda cute little brunette was bawling her eyes out next to that very

cute but very strange Ms. Summers and some short blonde fre...Whoa, watch it boy, Assistant

Manager uniform...guy...And this really weird, very bad skinned...Were those horns on his

face?..very tall guy eyed him...

The red-haired gal next to the other tall old normalish guy was kinda cute...And gave him a nervous

smile as well...

Hey...Willow waved...

Romance Palace...Part XXXIX...Conclusion...

PG13

Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/buffyrebecca

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Summary: Season seven tale...William/Spike returns with atonement-seeking Will firmly in the saddle and romance on the menu...

Shes got a Secret Garden...

Where everything you want...Where everything you need...

Part XXXIX...

Willow having explained the situation to Leroy...

Assistant Manager Walthrop and Ms. Summers treating one of the members of a circus troupe who'd had a slight mishap out front...But no serious damage done, Clem nodding and smiling...

Despite his wife's...Halfreck furiously glaring but keeping silent on that one under Buffy's intense stare...Anxious concern...

I dunno Haly, Anya thought...Clem would sure beat the guy who had you locked in Queen Nefri's crypt...

The assistant manager suggested Leroy assist the new fellow...A Mr. Harris, working the counter...Out front while he and Ms. Summers got things set back here...

Leroy nodded and hanging up his coat, headed up front...

Doublemeat Palace...He sighed as he gave a "Hey!" to new guy Harris...

People come...People go...Nothing really interesting ever happens...

"So..." Buffy stared at Halfreck and back to DHoffryn...

Her fate's in my hands...

Still with that Cicely English accent, Willow noted...

I'd be nervous if I were you Haly...

"D'Hoffryn...? You actually did help Will to stay?..." Buffy eyed the demon lord...

He smiled...

"Don't sentimentalize me, Mrs. Walthrop...I simply believe in trying to keep the playing field a little level...It makes the game more interesting..."

Summers-Walthrop...she replied, looking at the demon lord steadily...Turning to Will...

"If you don't mind, Will...?"

"Beautiful name, dearest...Thank you..." he smiled at her...

And Spike agrees...Wholeheartedly...

She squeezed his hand, grinning broadly at Dawn and Willow...Hey, guys!...I'm Dearest!...Her beaming expression momentarily shouting...But returned with a glare to her subject...

"Halfreck...By all rights...I should make you experience what William did that night..."

I'd like nothing so much as to see you dead...she paused...

Will eyed her...

Not worth it sweet...his look said...

She nodded and again squeezed his hand...

"But..." she continued...

Maybe what happened...Was necessary in a way...

I was looking for an escape when I took my Will...The love was there, to be sure...But I was ready to use him...

She eyed him...Will shaking his head...Never felt that way, pet...

Use me?...Please do...Spike noted within...No problem...Tell her anytime...Anywhere...

"Use him the way I did when I resurrected..." she continued...

"Until I realized how much I loved him...And then...I tried to do what most Slayers try to do..."

Run from everyone and everything they love...Push them away...Forever...

With the usual results...I died alone...And young...Like every Slayer had before me...

And lost everything I cared about...

Except...I hadn't really lost Will's love...

The love that gave me a second chance...And a reason to come back for that chance...

And find out...As Buffy...

"That the way for a Slayer to survive...As Spike, bless him..." she grinned at Will...

Hear that, bro?...Spike called triumphantly within...

Indeed, bro...Will replied kindly within...

"Tried to explain to me...The night Will realized who I was..."

Is not to isolate herself...And lose everything that gives life meaning...

"Love...And...The romantic...Which..." she smiled at her...Dearest...Will...

"Must never die..."

The secret I've learned as Buffy...Thanks, I guess, to you...Is that the only way to survive...And the only way life has any meaning...Is by keeping the ones you love...She looked at the gang, one to the other...Lastly on dear old...she blinked...Papa?...

Er, Giles...

Close...

As far as my sweet husband is concerned... she gripped his hand tightly... All I can do in the end...Is love him...And our children...As long as something of me...Buffy or Cicely...Exists...

"And leave our fate...to Fate...Knowing that we will be together, somehow...That as long as we love each other..."

"Eternity is ours..." she nodded at Will, clenching his hand in hers...He nodding back with his gentle boys smile...

She stared at the frightened girl...

I'm sorry for you Halfreck...You gave up so much...Without thinking...

Existence has consequence for me...And now, again, for Will...Because there is the chance of losing what we have...Family, friends, life...

Everything but the love...Which never dies...

Existence didn't have consequence for you...As a demon...

Maybe that's why, like Glory, you didn't give a damn who you hurt along the way...It couldn't matter, what did you care?...You had nothing and no one to lose...

"So...I'm giving you back an existence with consequence..." she eyed her...

And crushed the pendant in her fist...

Causing a bright glow to briefly fill the room...Followed immediately by a hideous, desperate shout from Haly...

"No!...Oh!...No!..."

You...!...she eyed Buffy...And burst into another stream of ancient Egyptian invective...

Whoa... Anya blinked...Didn"t know ancient Egyptian was so...Creative a language...

Buffy!... she screamed, hearing Haly's last call on the gods for a glorious death...

The girl jumped at Will and Buffy grabbed her...Holding her by the throat...

"Young lady..." Buffy said...In a precise, cold, English accented voice...With a menace only Halfreck and one of the others had ever heard before...

"My...Patience with you...Is...At...An...End..." she lifted the strangling girl off the floor in one movement...

Hmmn...You know, Spike...Will noted...She sounds exactly the way she did that first afternoon we met...Remember?...When I started to leave and told her where I was going...In no uncertain terms...

And she nearly knocked me out of my shoes...

That's our Cicely...Spike agreed...

"Mrs. Summers-Walthrop?..." D'Hoffryn called to her gently...Looking to Anya...

Please...Anyanka?...

Haly struggling desperately in the Slayer's grip...Eyes rolling...

That glorious death becoming visibly near...And clearly less appealing...

Buffy?...Willow and Dawn called...

"My dear..." Giles joined in...

"Buffy..." Will called gently...

Darling...

"She killed you...William...Took you away..." Buffy stared at Halfreck twisting in her grip...

Don't...Its not worth it...he paused...Eyeing the squirming, desperate Haly...

"You know it's not..."

Not worth your soul...Or us...

Buffy sighed, nodding...Yeah...And put Halfreck down...Eyeing Will...

William the Bloody...The Bloody Awful Poet...My compassionate, merciful, and dear husband...Who forgave Drusilla, Halfreck...And me...His three murderesses...

Oh, God...Mom...You were so right about him...As was I...In 1880...

Haly broke away and raced up to the front of the store...

Haly...D'Hoffryn sighed...Watching her flee up the hallway...

"She has no idea of the gift you've given her...Mrs. Summers-Walthrop..." he smiled at Buffy...

A life of consequences again...

Well...Perhaps someday...She'll understand...

Buffy stared at him...As did Anya...

"D'Hoffryn?...I thought you looked down on mortal existence..." Anya began...

It's a useful experience, Anyanka...the demon lord smiled...

And one day, Haly may be a better vengeance demon for it...More discriminating and compassionate...

Yes...He grinned at Buffy's surprised look...

"Your William is right..."

Compassion does matter...Even in my business...

"And yours..."

"Hey...?"

"You know that girl?..." Xander looked at Leroy...As Haly fled past them, hopped the counter gate and ran to and out the door...

Leroy shrugged...Turnaround's damn fast here...he noted...

The customer load at zero, an anxious Xander now left Leroy to hold the fort and hastened down to the gang in back...

Whoa...The big D-H himself...

Mr. Harris...D'Hoffryn frowned a bit at him...Anya moving over protectively...

"All's well, Xander..." Willow smiled at him...Standing by Giles...

"Meet the Summers-Walthrops..." she indicated a beaming Buffy and Will with a grin...

Ummn...

"I saw a girl leave just now...Who was it?..." Xander asked...

Haly...Anya smiled at him...

In human form...

"Why?...You interested?..." she grinned...

She's even older than your Inca mummy girl...

Still...she noted sadly to the group... At least...She'd be human...

Anyanka...D'Hoffryn sighed... You know I love you...And I wish I could help you...

"Are these rules of yours...So important...?" Buffy eyed the demon lord...

"They're the same rules that kept him from allowing Halfreck to kill you or steal your body, Buffy..." Anya noted wanly...

They're good rules, really...

Can't argue with that Buffy thought...But oh, An...

"Look, D-H..." Xander began...A sharp glare from D'Hoffryn...

Ummn, D'Hoffryn...

"You gotta help her...She's no use to you now as a vengeance demon...She's got too much love and humanity in her..."

Oh...Please...

"I'll do anything...The soul sale bit...No problem..."

No, Xander...Anya hurriedly interrupted...

"You don't know what Anything can be..."

It really can be...Anything...she noted...

"I don't care..." Xander shook his head...

As long as we're together...

Uhnnn...D'Hoffryn sighed, shaking his head a bit...

Good sign...Spike noted to Will...And Anya...Who quietly agreed...

Have Harris keep it up...

For once...

All right... the demon lord shook his head...

Kid...he eyed Xander...

"For Anyanka...I'll bend the rules...And give you one chance..."

But you have to determine her power source...Without your friends' help...

Now...

"A piece of cake for a world-saver like you, Xander..." Willow called...

The gang waited...Watching...

"But...?" Clem hissed to Dawn where they sat at one table...

"Doesn't he know it's her..." D'Hoffryn gave the demon a chilling glare...

Oh-oh...

"I won't let him hurt you..." Dawn patted the frightened Clem on the shoulder...

Ummn...But you might want to keep things to yourself for the next coupla minutes or so...

So...? Spike groused within to Will...

Club this overgrown Anointed One a good one and grab An's pendant...

Lets let Xan have his chance, bro...Will returned...

He'll come through...

Spike groaned...

However, if things get tight...Will noted...It's an excellent idea...

Careful, guys...Anya told them telepathically...

He can hear you...D'Hoffryn added...Smiling at them from where he stood...

Hmmn...Xander pondered, looking Anya over...Power source?...

Must be fairly portable...What with all the teleporting she does...

"You see..." D'Hoffryn looked sideways at Xander... "If something should happen to Anyanka's power source..."

Ummn...Xander looked back at him...Clueless yet...

The demon cast a glance at Anya's pendant...Giles and Willow stared at the pendant...Buffy and Will stared at the pendant...

Clem and Dawn stared at the pendant...

"Ok...So as to this power source?..." Xander asked innocently...

D'Hoffryn rolled his eyes...Well...

"For example, if it were say...Smashed..." the demon lord noted...

Uh-huh...Xander nodded...Still not quite with him...

So...If I could locate this power source...he hesitated...And smash it?...

The demon sighed, looking at Anya a little sadly...This is what you'll settle for?...His look saying...

Please...Her look back...

Oh, please...

He smiled wanly at her and tried again...

"Exactly...Say for example if she wore it around her neck and you smashed it..." D'Hoffryn looked at him...

C'mon you moronic human...I don't do this as a rule you know...the demon lord groused within...

You're lucky I love my Anyanka so much...

"She'd be powerless...And human again..." DHoffryn continued...

Like...Halfreck...

Hmmn-hmm...Ok...Xander nodded...So...

"If I could find this power source and smash it...She'd be human again..."

Like...Halfreck...DHoffryn paused...Waiting...

Sigh...Ok...

Anyanka...The demon lord groused to her telepathically...You'd better be planning to give your first born son my name...At least for a middle name...

Absolutely...she replied within...Alexander D'Hoffryn Harris is a great name...

"A moment ago...Perhaps you noticed Haly was missing something...When she ran past you?..." he glared at Xander...

Anya desperately rocked herself, trying to make the pendant sway...

Alexander, if you love me, come on...You can do it...she thought...

Oh, Xander...Please...

"You ok, An?..." he looked at her...

Wait a minute...Say...

Whoa...he stared at the pendant...

"It's just like the one..."

Took you long enough, DHoffryn thought, grousing within...

Yes sir...That's my baby...Anya thought happily...Oh...

Never thought my heart would jump for joy at the sound of my pendant shattering...

Congratulations, Xander... Giles shook hands...

Oh...God bless you Anya...Shalom... Willow hugged her...

D'Hoffryn...Willow turned and smiled to him...

Thanks...

"Not that I accept your previous offer..." she hastily noted...

Just...The demon lord nodded kindly...

Say...Why is Buffy kneeling by Spike...er Will?...she wondered...

"Make me the happiest woman...On Earth..." Buffy was teasing...Batting her eyes at him...

But with a serious edge in her words...

And seriously wishing she was wearing something besides her greasy uniform...

But...God, they'd waited long enough...she thought...Our 10th anniversary can be the big splashy party thing...

Maybe they'd even have found another gem of Amara by then...And could do the under the trees ceremony she'd wanted last time...

Dawn's jaw dragging the floor as she and Clem watched...

Will you get her up?...Spike groused...This is so embarrassing...

She asked us the first time, Spike...Will noted...

He knelt beside her...

"I reminded my little brother that you asked us once before, Cicely..." he smiled at her beaming face...

And the answer is as always...If you can deal with all that you would lose...he eyed her...

"Yes, thank you, Buffy..."

"Say..." Leroy noted to Xander as they watched the counter...

Those circus people can really pack it in...As he eyed D'Hoffryn, Clem, and a few of D'Hoffryn's employees, friends of Anya invited in on short notice chowing down on Doublemeat's best cuisine...The Walthrops and the Harrises having decided to make it legal as quickly as a minister could be located and marriage licenses found...

Anya and Xander's from their apartment...Still valid...

Cicely and William's by D'Hoffryn, from 1880...A little wedding present to make a leery Dawn feel more comfortable...It being likely to take a few days for the minor formality of an official California license...Assuming all of Spike's old documents held up...

Minister located, courtesy Giles...And en route...

Hmmn...Dawn heard her cell phone buzzing...The necessity that every Slayer's sister must have...

"Hi..."

Whoa...her expression said...Willow noticing...

"Buffy?..."

"Ummn...It's..." Dawn paused...Phone covered by a hand...

"Angel...He couldnt reach us at home...Your phone must be in your jacket..."

"I'll take it..." Buffy smiled...

Spike?...she grinned at Will...

"This one's especially for you..." she smiled...Uncovering the phone...

"Yes?...Angel?...Nice to hear from you...Finally..."

"Oh...Buffy...I've been so worried about you this past year..." Angel solemnly intoned...

And a half...she thought grimly...

Hey...Clem...Dawn pulled him over...C'mon...

What?...The dog-eared demon stared at his charge, friend, and...date for the evening...

"Gotta get the appropriate music going..." Dawn explained quietly to him...

The others too busy enjoying Buffy's side of the call...

"Tell it to poor Dru..." Buffy replied into the phone... "If you ever get round to trying to help her..."

"Buffy...?"

"I'm sorry...Angel..." Buffy resumed...Putting on a strong English accent...

"Is that how...?" Dawn eyed Will...Pausing with Clem just before the door to the little music system closet...

To a T...he grinned...Too bad she can't do the head throwback and down the nose look for Angel over the phone...

Isn't she wonderful?...Our girl...Spike intoned within...

Worth waiting a century for, brother...Will replied...

An eternity...

Ok...Dawn noted to Clem, handing him a tape...This one...When I raise my hand...

He nodded, devotedly...

What're they up to?...Willow looked over from where she sat with Giles...

Tara's seal of approval having been passed on to Willow by a slightly uncertain Buffy...Ummn...Willow and Giles?...Ummn?...

Not that Willow was pressing anything...But, if one considered the matter, could she possibly do better available guywise...Should she be so inclined until Tara became available again here or in the Afterlife...than Rupert?...And in time...Who knows? she thought...

Hmmn...Clem...And Dawn...Realizing suddenly...she blinked at them...

Should I speak to...Nah...she eyed Buffy...

Think this can sit a few days...Just a lil' ole teen crush...Please God...

Still, he is a nice guy...

Heck...If Spike and his soul could win the Slayer?...Who knows...

"I am afraid your Buffy has lost out to my Cicely half...She's in possession now...And really can't remember you well at all..." Buffy continued to Angel...

"Grateful as she remains to you, sir...For your courteous help in her battles with evil..."

"Buffy?..." a shocked Angel cried...

Sir?...Buffy replied...

A returning Dawn eyed Will and Willow a leetle nervously...

Cicely's?...Taken over?...

Hmmn...Willow frowned at Buffy...

Stop it, you clown, you're scaring the kid...

"Angel, seriously...I love ya...Lets always be friends...But...Darla's the girl for you, boy...And Mrs. Summers-Walthrop is taken..." Buffy concluded...

Say hi to Connor for us...William and I will stop by with some wedding cake when we come for Dru...

Buffy hung up and grinned at the others...

"Buffy...?" Dawn asked hesitantly...

Dawn...Buffy groused at her...Shaking her head...

"I'll never give up my Buffy...I was Cicely...I am Buffy...And we are..."

The Missus...she smiled at Will...

Who was dutifully returning to the grill...Hungry friends, family, and eventually, more customers to feed...

She followed him over...

"I know it's not exactly a society wedding, Cics..." he began...

"Don't be ridiculous William..." she picked up a spatula and began turning burgers...

"This...Is the perfect place...With all the people we love...

The Palace...Of Romance..." she grinned at Dawny...

Dawn nodded...And raised a hand...

Her tape played through the Doublemeat Palace...

Buffy grinned...Xander grinned...And grabbed their respective partners...Willow pulling Giles along...

Yeah...Will beamed at his sis-in-law...As he and his wife sailed across the floor...

That says it all...

Suggested theme... "Help" (Help) I need somebody, (Help) Not just anybody, (Help) You know I need someone

(Help) When I was younger, so much younger than today, (I never needed) I never needed anybody's help in any way

(Now these days are gone) But now these days are gone I'm not so self assured

(And now I find) Now I find I've changed my mind, I've opened up the doors

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down, and I do appreciate you being 'round

Help me get my feet back on the ground, won't you please, please help me?

(Now my life has changed) And now my life has changed in oh, so many ways

(My independence) My independence seems to vanish in the haze

(But every now and then) But every now and then I feel so insecure

(I know that I) I know that I just need you like I've never done before

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down, and I do appreciate you being 'round

Help me get my feet back on the ground, won't you please, please help me?

When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way

(Now these days are gone) But now these days are gone I'm not so self assured

(And now I find) Now I find I've changed my mind, I've opened up the doors

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down, and I do appreciate you being 'round

Help me get my feet back on the ground, won't you please, please help me? Help me, help me, Ooo

"You'd be foolish to dismiss our help, Buffy...Over an incident...However

unfortunate...That took place well in the past..." Chairman Travers

continued...

At work the following day Buffy had decided to have her own little talk with

her Council Chairman...Collect transatlantic call of course...

Geesch...Willow fumed...Is this the definition of a schmuck or no?...God, I'd

like to have my defleshing ability back for thirty seconds...

Anya...human Anya...And her Xander happily watching beside Giles and William...

"Past as in when you and your psychics summoned Halfreck to Sunnydale a few

months ago using my subconscious memories...And fears...As the trigger...?"

Buffy pleasantly asked...

The way Farris summoned her in 1880?...

"My dear Miss Summers..." Travers began...A shocked, truly shocked tone...

I assure you we have always acted in your best interests, Miss Sum...

You will call me...Mrs. Summers-Walthrop from now on, Mr. Travers...she grimly

cut him off...

We Victorians prefer the good old Mrs...she noted...Especially from fellow

Englishmen who tried to kill my husband and condemn me to demonic servitude...

"Actually, I'm calling to discuss my...And my husband's...Future relationship

with the Council..." Buffy explained...

As well as my Giles...See...

I feel a certain responsibility...Given that I have been the longest surviving

Slayer...

Twice...

To protect my fellow future Slayers...

From...You...And Council members like you...And Mr. Farris...

So...

"We have to talk...Mr. Travers..."

In fact...Buffy paused...

"I want to talk to the full Council..."

Please set it up...By conference call...

ASAP...No later than tomorrow evening...

"Unless you'd like a personal interview...At your home tomorrow night..."

With the Walthrops...

Hmmn...Anya thought...

Three jobs...William is sure gonna have a rough time trying to get a college

schedule put together...

Still a Watcher's hours are flexible, judging from Giles in the past...

And he does have a close working relationship with his Slayer already in

place...

The negotiations were brief...The full Council expressing its...Displeasure and

sincere apologies...Yeah, right...Buffy, William, Willow, and Giles rolled

their eyes...With the Chairman's handling of the recent situation...

As for Mr. Walthrop...Well, given that the current Watcher vouched for his

soul's return to control...

And his unique abilities...

And the Slayer's extreme insistence on this one being non-negotiable,

fellas...she reminded them...

And since Mr. Giles would remain in contact as Master Watcher for the North

American continent...

Perhaps...With sufficient training...In England...Mr. Walthrop might make a

rather useful addition to the Council...

We should have a three week training period open within a month...One member

noted...

Three weeks...At your expense...Buffy noted...And I will be accompanying my

husband...To ensure the agreement is kept...Along with Mr. Giles and two

friends...

"He already has the proper uniform..." Willow grinned to Xander and An...

Thanks to ole Randy...Bless him whoever he is...

Hmmn...Buffy thought...Honeymoon in England...

Free honeymoon in England...And a chance to see the ole homesteads...

And visit our poor little Amelia's grave...Together...

"You ok with this, boss?..." Will asked Anya...

Well...Considering how good business has been since our celebrity staff joined

the firm...And that the time off will be unpaid...Buffy and Will being anxious

neither to cost their employers so early in their employ and equally anxious to

reserve paid leave for Babbie arrival...

And since she and Xander would be getting three free weeks honeymoon in England as well...

"If my partner approves..."

Five months later...

In the Summers...er Summers-Walthrop home...

The gang in attendance...For dinner with a very pregnant Buffy and her hubs...

Who had a serious problem to deal with...

Back from Will's Watcher training in England...And an extended double

honeymoon...On the Council's nickel...

Both now students at UCal-Sunnydale and he deeply engaged in his first serious

literary work in 120 years...

In addition to their respective duties at Doublemeat, the Box, and as Slayer

and Watcher/Assistant Slayer...

A frustrated Buffy...Cicely glaring at them all...

She'd reluctantly agreed give up Patrol in her last three months at Will and

the others' desperate pleas...Very reluctantly...

Gradually cut back on her working hours...Though insisting on working at least

one shift a week at the Palace...And the Box...

The jobs had grown on her...Especially now that she had the ear of the Palace's

part-time Assistant Manager...And the Box's head, well he was full-time after

all...clerk...

But this...Was too much...

And worst of all...She was sure he'd discussed it already with practically

everyone else...Excepting Dawny...

Though she herself had already let it slip out to sis...Not intentionally

but...God...

How could he do this to her?...She couldn't keep it bottled up...

Besides...Dawny was getting older...They'd had...The Talk and

everything...After she'd started dating Clem...

Just movies and the like...

Just a crush...Buffy hoped...Though...

Dawn could do worse...

The tension between the Walthrops was thicker by the second...

"Well..." Dawn nervously smiled...Collecting plates with a devoted Clem as she

played for time...Hoping against hope to avoid the "problem" a few minutes

longer...When everyone but Willow might...Go home...

Wasn't this nice?...she grinned blankly at William...The others...Clem...

Clem nodding in agreement...Devotedly...

"Whatdya mean you think we should stop?...For now?...Why won't you sleep with me?" Buffy blurted, staring at him...

Hand flying to her mouth in horror...

You heard nothing...Xander told himself...Absolutely...Nothing...

Giles deep in his protective reserve...Mentally reviewing his past two years of

journal entries...As befit the newly selected Chairman of the Watchers

Council...A strong reform movement in the full Council having coalesced around

him and Walthrop after their revelations of Travers and the inner circle's

misdeeds during their stay in England...

Willow firmly planted by his side...

Not that anything was settled between them...Just...Dear Rup needed someone to

keep an eye on him...And...One never knows...In time...If Tara-Dru can only be

released, not restored...

Heh...Ummn...Just a leetle marital tension, Dawny...Guys...Buffy embarrassedly

smiled at them...

Ummn...Sorry...Didn't mean to bring you into our little bedroom problems...

Hormones, you know...

Clem frowned a bit at her...Miss Dawny is a bit young for this, Slayer...his

look clearly saying...

Coffee?...she suggested...

Will sighed...As the others moved into the living room...Rapidly...Thankfully...

The baby's due in two months, Cics...Do you think I'd...Hell, even

Spike...Would take a chance with it now?...

"It's perfectly safe...The doc said it was safe..."

If we're careful...And you know what happens when we get at it...

Oops...Nibs...Spike hissed...

Oh...Ummn...William looked down at Dawn...

"Dawn...!" Buffy pointed...

Urggh...Dawn groused, moving off into the living room to where a now pregnant

and radiant Mrs. Harris was sitting by Xander...

"You can still hear him right?..." Dawn hissed to her... "Spike, I mean..."

Oh...yeah...Anya hissed back...

Xander discussing Dru hunt plans with Willow and Giles...Demon Dru having fled

LA, probably having picked up impressions from poor Tara, William and Buffy

would set out with her after Dru as soon as Babbie was born and could be safely

left with its Sunnydale extended family...

Neat...Dawn grinned...Casting a demure look in her sis and bro-in-law's

direction...

"Dear..." Will sighed... "It'll just be two months...Two little months..."

Urggh...Buffy groused...Screw Victorian chivalry...

Hmmn...

"Hey, Spike..." she grinned...Eyeing Will...

Can't believe you'd go along with this...

Believe it, Mommie...Spike sternly replied within...

When it comes to the kiddies...Even a demonic half-dad...Is a half-dad...

"Spike agrees with me..." Will smiled at her...

But...We can still do all the cuddling we want...

Dear...

"You'll call me Cicely...And Buffy...When I ask you to...?" she eyed him...

Absolutely...You've been merging your memories very well these past months...Giles doesn't feel we need to be cautious about psychological effects any more...

"I can use my Cicely voice?...Whenever I should feel the urge?..." she asked,

switching to a high-pitched nasal...

Of course...I love the Cicely voice...

She paused...The real question next...

"I'm not hideous...?"

Certainly not...Even Spike hasn't got a single sarcastic remark in his little

demonic brain right now...

Radiant...Spike hastily noted...And remember to say I said it...

"Spike says you're radiant...And I completely agree..."

"Really?...You still want to be with me...?"

Have either of us ever lied to you...? Threatened to tear your throat open,

drain every drop, maybe...But lied to you?...

What about Patrol?...Just a little, I could take the small ones...? she asked

hopefully...

He sighed...Well...You can walk with me...It's good for you...But no running

and no fighting...

She rolled her eyes...But...A Cicely moment overcame her...

William was doing his best...And no way are we losing Baby Two...Lil' Amelia

Joyce or Will Jr is gonna make to the world...

"All right, Will...Just the walking...And the talking..." They headed out to

the living room to rejoin the others...

And the cuddlin'...she grinned at him...As they sat...

"I can still do my "Here's the Deal"...Right?...Before you kill em..."

If you even kill em...she frowned at him...

"Buffy...We agreed...We give the non-aggressive ones one chance...Hear them out if they have a story..."

After all, Angel and I may not be the only redeemable ones...

Right, Willow hastily interjected...Absolutely, she nodded vigorously...

Gotta find out more about Spike's African demon god...she thought...

O...K...Buffy cast a sour look at him...Rolling her eyes...

Well...For poor Willow's sake...her look said...If there's still any chance for

Tara-Dru in this world...

"But I won't kill one before you do your thing..." he smiled...

They'd be hurt if you didn't...It would be as if you didn't respect them...

"Is this a good idea...?" Willow asked, whispering to Will...As the gang began

joint Patrol...Buffy happily hand in hand with the hubs...

"She's seven months pregnant..."

Buffy glared...Hearing...

"It's either this...Or she and I have sex...And she is a determined woman..."

William whispered back, eying Willow...

Who gets what she wants...In any century...No matter how long it takes...

As we know...he grinned at her...

Buffy-Cicely nodded...Firmly...Nibbling on a Doublemeat Special...

We just ate...She just ate enough for three strong men...Xander whispered to

Anya, staring at her...

Just a little something extra...Slayer eatin' for two you know...Buffy

sheepishly noted to Willow beside her...

Slayer metabolism finally giving way, Willow noted to herself...Eyeing Buffy's

girth...Hmmn...I wonder...

Giles seemed a little concerned himself at her weight gain...And no Slayer has

ever survived long enough to become pregnant...This could be a permanent

thing...

Willow unable to repress a certain sly satisfaction...All those years of seeing Buffy

scarf down anything in mass quantities and never gain a pound...

"Anyway...Will likes me plump..." Buffy noted contentedly... Heading on over to

where Giles was peering down a dark alleyway...Gotta keep an eye on our new

Chairman...Our third...and by far, best-paying boss...

See...William explained to the others...In my day we didn't mind a woman having

a few extra pounds...In fact we rather preferred it...

"Hate to see a healthy young woman nowadays starving herself to bones when

there's so much more to love in a girl with a little cushiony cuddle fat..."

Clem nodding solemnly...

Dawn, Anya, and Willow looked at each other...As Will strolled over to his

beaming Buffy-Cicely...

"William!...I've always loved you...William!..." they raced after him...

Buffy eyed them...

Very funny guys...

You know...she noted to her grinning sis and female friends as they clustered

round her Will...

"As Cicely...We don't really know any of you people..." Narrowing her

eyes...And unconsciously throwing her head and looking down her nose at them...

Hmmn...Willow looked at Anya...Anya at Willow...Dawn at both...

Are you sure she's not...? Dawn's look said...

That's our girl...Spike grinned within...

Alone at last...she grinned at her hubs...The others taking their assigned

areas...Within earshot but at least a little privacy... A little like the old

days...

But not too much, please...Could hardly call them the "good old days" after all...

"I love you, Miss Summers..." he stared at her...

She vaguely nodded, looking down the road...Yeah, yeah...

"Miss Addams...Did you hear me?...I absolutely adore you..." he

paused...Grinning at her...

Uh-huh...she looked up the road...

"All clear...They're playing it cautious tonight, I guess..."

She turned and smiled at him...Reaching for his hand...

"The name's Summers-Walthrop, William...Don't you forget it..."

"Cause I never will...Again..."

"Thanks...Mrs. Summers-Walthrop..." Will kissed her... "For all of it..."

All the help...

"Hey..." she kissed him... "You too...William Soames..."

She put her hand in his and they strolled cautiously on down the street...

[Suggested end theme...Crazy Little Thing Called Love...]


End file.
